Cockadoodle effin doo
by psycho chibbi
Summary: Sanji finally barricades himself in the kitchen after the others take advantage of it one time too many. Zoro didnt care what blondie did. Until Usopp makes a discovery that drives Zoro to the brink of madness. His only hope? Sanji. SanjixZoro *Finished*
1. The madness begins

**Cock-a-doodle-effin-doo**

_by: A psycho chibi named Wendy_

_Disclaimer: _I don't own em. I just like playing with them. Tee hee.

_Warnings: _Lots and lots of bad language, as would be expected of pirates. Yaoi fluff and several not so subtle dirty puns.

_Pairing: _Sanji x Zoro

_Summary: _Sanji finally snaps and barricades himself in the kitchen after the others take advantage of it one time too many. Zoro didn't care what blondie did. Until Usopp makes a sudden discovery that drives Zoro to the brink of madness. His only hope? Sanji.

_Author Rant:_ Woot, my first One Piece fic. I don't care if anyone reads this. I had a blast writing it.

_Note_: I'm taking a few liberties with the ship layout. Occurs before the gang meets up with the Foxy pirates. Starts out in Zoro's POV.

_*edited note*_ I found the double punctuation thing too irritating to ignore, so I found a way to fix it. It may look odd, but I likes my _?_!s too much.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 1

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It started out just like any other day, really.

I was on rep 652 working with my weights on deck, watching Usopp fill chopper's head with more lies.

"Really_?_! All 500 with just your eyebrows_?_!" Chopper gasped, his eyes wide and sparkling.

Sometimes I wonder what that quack doc and the witch lady did to the poor kid. Then again Luffy usually believed that long nosed idiot too. I dunno. I guess it doesn't do any real harm.

Nami and Robin were actually working together over some old maps we found at the last island above the helm.

Luffy was being his normal self around lunch time.

"Saaanjiiii! I want meat!"

Only thing different was that pervy cook's response.

"Tough shit, Captain, my captain."

I tried not to laugh at the way Luffy's jaw literally hit the floor. "Whaaaat_?_! Why not_?_!" he whined loudly.

I looked to Sanji. He was leaning against the closed door to his precious kitchen, puffing away at another cigarette. "Because, dearest captain..." He took a long drag off his cigarette and tapped off the ashes, purposely drawing out the moment. Then I saw a dark expression in his eye a split instant before the toe of his boot cracked Luffy's jaw and forced it back to it closed position. Pretty hard too since it made Luffy's head extend upwards about a foot tethered to his rubbery neck. "YOU fuckin ate it all!" he snapped with a heated glare.

Now this pulled a response from me. "He ate all the meat again_?_! When_?_!"

Sanji shrugged, but he was obviously irritated. "All I know is that last night I had enough to last us to the next island... I can't say that NOW."

I found myself chucking one of my weights at my idiot captain. "Dammit, why did you do that again_?_!"

"WAAH!" Was Luffy's first response as he ducked. "I didn't mean to! I.. I just got really hungry..." he whined while crouching down and poking absently at the deck.

I couldn't stop from growling, but instead I look back to the cook. "Do we have ANYTHING left?"

"Potatoes."

"Potatoes?"

That blonde head nodded. "That's it. I have enough so we don't starve, but I may commit bloody murder to toss in some variety." He looked at me strangely, raking his eye over me slowly. "I think all that muscle would be too tough and dry..."

I raised an eyebrow, and was about to snap when that cook started looking at Luffy. He got a weird grimace on his face. "You'd be chewy as hell, so you're out too."

"Yay! I don't get eaten!" Luffy cheered idiotically.

Sanji seemed to snort in a combination of amusement and annoyance. Understandable. He then looked over to the oblivious Usopp and Chopper. "While I wouldn't mind some venison, we need a doctor, so no Chopper chops..."

"Whaaaat?" Chopper immediately yelped before he ran to hide behind Usopp. The wrong way, of course.

He didn't bother to answer, but then his eye focused on a very confused marksman. "I guess it's gonna be you, Usopp. Shit... I'm gonna hafta marinate the hell outta your scrawny ass.. But I guess it'll be edible."

"Wh-what_?_! Why are you gonna eat me_?_" longnose nearly screeched. So noisy...

"Because..." Sanji took another drag. I don't see how he can breathe that stuff in so deep. "You're the only thing that I deem worth filleting. You should really feel honored. I try to only serve the best cuts." Leave it to that bastard to make cannibalism seem stylish.

That idiot longnose was actually close to tears as his knees shook. He couldn't seriously think that pervy cook would chop him up. Although one look at the irritation on Sanji's face did make me wonder. It had to piss a cook off when his ingredients kept getting swiped. Kinda defeats the point of a cook if he has nothing to cook with.

Curly brows then looked up to the deck above the helm, and he did that thing where little pink hearts started circling his head. Still don't know how he does that.

"Oh Nami-swan~! Robin-chan~! How would you like your Usopp cooked?"

That sounded way too cheery for something that evil.

Neither of the girls bothered to look away from their work. "I want something spicy." Nami said quite casually. Of course she wouldn't mind eating another person.

I'm on a ship full of lunatics.

"Some cultures say that human brains are the most coveted delicacies." Robin just tipped the loony scale.

"I wanna eat his nose!" Luffy declared with an oddly determined look on his face. Yeah, Luffy's the craziest bastard here.

To my surprise, but I guess it shouldn't have, the psycho cook actually had a notepad out and was writing down their suggestions. "Alright... Spicy, brains, and nose... You want anything, Chopper?"

"No! No.. I'm.. I'm fine with potatoes..." Chopper squeaked as he started backing away.

"Suit yourself." That blue eye focused back on me. Dammit, why is hair always plastered over his left one? "What about you, Shitty swordsman?"

I frowned, but then I took a hard look at Usopp. It was disgusting, but I was enjoying watching him about to shit himself. "Usopp jerky."

The pervy cook grinned evilly as he wrote it down. "Excellent choice, sir. That would last longer too. I might do that with any parts I can't use."

"But I don't wanna be jerky! OW! Luffy, quit chewing on my leg!"

"Bug ah wan meeeag!" How the hell did Luffy's mouth cover an entire leg?

Sanji suddenly closed his notepad and grinned. "Alrighty! Come on, Usopp! Time to die for the survival of your crew~!" God, he said that too sweetly. He even walked over, removed Luffy from Usopp's leg, then grabbed the idiot by the nose and drug him to the galley. "Say goodbye to everyone. Die with honor and pride in the knowledge you will have given them the strength to live. HAHAHAHA!"

Right, that was creepy.

That psycho chef then literally threw Usopp into the galley and walked in after him. Closing door behind him.

"Um... He's not gonna REALLY kill and cook Usopp... is he...?" Chopper asked nervously.

Luffy cackled with laughter. "Ha! Of course not. Sanji's joking around with us. He'd never do something like tha-"

"WAHH! Sanji! Please don't! Put that knife down! AAHH!" There was a horrible crashing sound that had all of us staring. Then the galley opened briefly with Usopp trying to bolt out. "For the love of everything holy! Please save meee!" Before he could escape, a hand wrapped tightly around his neck and roughly drug him back inside. The door slammed shut, and more crashes followed. "Sanji! Please! I'll do anything! Anything! No.. No! Gyaaah!" A high pitched scream was immediately followed by the sound of a knife piercing flesh.

We were all frozen with shock. Even Nami and Robin were looking over the railing towards the Galley. "You.. You don't think he really...?" Nami's voice quivered.

At that moment the galley door opened and Sanji stepped out. Wiping blood from his hands and bright red splatters covering the white apron he was wearing. There was a bright grin on his face. "Dinner will be served in one hour!"

"Sanji! How could you_?_!" Luffy cried out sharply. He bolted forward and tackled our cook hard to the floor. He pinned Sanji there and glared at him. "How could you do that to Usopp_?_!"

"Do what to me?"

"Kill you and cook you. Weren't you paying attention, Usopp?" Luffy barely realized what he had heard, but then shot his attention to the galley table.

There, grinning while sipping a cup of tea, was that longnosed idiot.

"Usopp! But..." Luffy looked down at the smirking cook. "Where did this blood come from?"

Not moving from the spot Luffy tackled him, the pervy cook snorted and poked the forehead above him hard. "I was able to find one last fish in the barrels. Now get offa me."

It was funny watching Luffy scramble to return Sanji to a standing position. I hate to admit it, but it was a pretty good joke. Even had me going for a few seconds. Very few.

The cook dusted himself off nonchalantly, and immediately snatched the back of Luffy's shirt when he started walking into the galley. He lifted him up and gave bland stare. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Um.. To wait for meat...?" Luffy offered with a lopsided grin. God he's hopeless.

"Oh no you don't." Sanji prodded our captain in the nose and actually growled. "You have already eaten more than your fair share. Until we reach port, if you want meat, you're gonna hafta catch it your damn self."

"Whaaat? WAAH!" As I watched Luffy sail through the air, I have to admit those kicking skills do impress me. Sometimes.

"You don't come back in my kitchen until you bring back enough to replace what you ate!"

I kinda like it when Sanji's pissed. When he's all lovey dovey with the girl's he's annoying, but pissed Sanji is usually funny. And a good sparring partner.

Usopp started laughing in the galley while sipping at his tea. "Man, Sanji, you're awesome. That joke was great."

Sanji flicked the ash off his cigarette and snorted. "What joke? I was being serious. If we run out of food, you get cooked first." He gestured to where Luffy was clinging to the mainsail. "I noticed the scratches on the cabinet locks. Last time I checked, Luffy couldn't pick locks... Unless you wanna be served with your guts replaced with potatoes, I suggest you help our captain." He was even twirling a knife absently in his right hand.

Usopp paled and made a mad dash out of the galley. "Luffy! Hurry up and find the fishing rods!"

When I looked back Sanji was still twirling the knife in his hand as he watched the goofy pair running around like crazy. "You're really pissed at them, aren't you?"

The cook snorted and actually had the nerve to point the knife at me. "You'd be pissed too if all you had to look forward to was peeling potatoes for the next week. This is the last time my kitchen is ransacked..."

I tilted my head in intrigue. "What are you going to do?"

"After dinner I'm barring up everything. Even the door. No one comes in or out of my kitchen without my say so."

"Does that include us, Sanji dear?" Nami asked with her usual flirting gaze when she wanted the chef to comply.

I was expecting more frilly hearts, but to my great surprise, Sanji actually snorted in mild interest. "Especially the two of you..." He suddenly placed a glare on the girls. "Like I said, Luffy can't pick locks... But I know three people who can..." He lingered for a moment before he walked back to his kitchen. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the next hour taking inventory. Anyone that disturbs me before I'm done gets my foot embedded in their skull..." The door then slammed violently, startling everyone.

I then put the pieces together and looked up at the girls who had obviously guilty expressions on their faces. "You've been taking food too?"

Robin rubbed lightly at the back of her neck. "We didn't think he would mind..."

This made me give a bark of laughter. "Ha! No wonder he's pissed... You idiots have been throwing off his inventory."

"Hey guys! I think I found something!" came Usopp's voice from the bow before the girls could reply.

Little did I know, this would be the beginning of the madness.

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"Ladies and gentlemen! .. And Zoro..." Usopp snickered a bit at his joke before a growl from Zoro made him continue. "I'm proud to present the newest member of our crew! Say hello to Chibi Captain Usopp!"

The five gathered on deck stared in disbelief for a moment. There in Usopp's hands was a little tan and black rooster. It had large round eyes, long black feathers on its head and tail, and a ridiculously long skinny beak attached to its scrawny body. Its head darted around quickly as it took in its surrounding with a blank clueless stare.

"Well I'll be damned..." Luffy moved a bit closer to it and stared directly at the permanently shocked eyes. "It does look like Usopp..."

"But we're in the middle of the ocean. How the hell did a little rooster get all the way out here?" Nami asked as she reached out to the little bird. To her surprise the little rooster allowed her to pet the top of his head and seemed to nuzzle against her hand. "Aww.. It's such a sweetie... Where did you find him, Usopp?"

The marksman chuckled and held the bird closer. "That's the weirdest thing! I found him tied up in a bag floating in a wooden bucket."

"Weird indeed... Who would do that to such a little bird?" Robin questioned with a faint frown.

"Probably was supposed to be someone's dinner and got washed overboard." Zoro commented as he approached the bag resting on the deck that had contained the rooster. He had thought perhaps there would be some writing on the bag to identify the origin of it, but blinked when a piece of paper fell out of it when he picked it up. Taking the paper, his gaze narrowed when he saw bloodied finger prints all over it, and a hasty note scrawled on the surface. _'This bird is cursed. Your world as you know it will end... May god be merciful upon your soul...?' _His eyes grew wide at the ominous threat.

"Um.. Guys? I think this bird may be ba-AAGH!" In a flurry of feathers and pecks, Zoro found himself being flogged by the tiny rooster. Before he could think to throttle the bird, its sharp claws ripped into the note. Not only tearing it, but pulling it out of Zoro's grip. "What the hell_?_!"

As soon as the attack started it ended with the note ripped to pieces and flying off the ship in the breeze. Zoro stared blankly for a moment before he pulled out one of his katana. "That little shit did that on purpose! He's dead!"

Before he could take a swing, Nami quickly scooped the bird up in her arms and glared at him. "You asshole! It's just a little bird. It obviously doesn't like you."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, but placed his katana back in its scabbard. "Since when have you cared about little annoying birds..?"

"You're the only one being annoying, Zoro." Nami huffed as she began taking the bird away. "Poor thing must be starving.. I think I have some bread left in our cabin. Let's feed him."

To Zoro's dismay, the entire crew left crooning and coddling the rooster. Chopper even offered to do a full exam on it to see if it was healthy. "What the hell was that?" He couldn't ponder for long when the rooster looked over Nami's shoulder at him. For a split second he could have sworn the bird's eyes narrowed and glowed bright red. "What the fuck?" The moment he blinked that blank stare was back in place as it was carried out of sight.

Although he was now very uneasy about this, he slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned deeply. "Dammit... It's gonna be one of those shitty weird trips again..."

He suddenly felt like hiding in the crows nest.

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"That fucking bird is driving me insane!"

Growling deeply, Zoro paced back and forth on the deck rapidly, his hands trying to rip out his too short hair.

It had only been two days, and that annoying rooster had made his life a living hell. Not only did everyone coddle and treat it like a ship mascot, but the thing made a horrible screeching sound at random times throughout the day. Fittingly enough, it even sounded like Usopp.

What bothered Zoro the most was the fuckin bird was fast. Faster than him. It would appear out of nowhere and do that horrible crow. The moment Zoro would attempt to face it, the bird would be gone. Usually conveniently tucked away safe in someone's arms.

There was no place he was safe from that damn crow. The crow's nest. The sleeping quarters. The storage rooms. The fucking bathroom. Every place he would find that accursed bird taunting him.

And this time he knew he wasn't exaggerating. That rooster was targeting him. Specifically.

The worst part was that he couldn't focus on his training at all. Every time he would attempt anything, weights, pushups, sit ups, that bird would show up and either crow right in his ear, or try to peck his eyes out.

"Is there no where that's safe?" he asked in frustration to anything that would listen.

At that moment he felt something land on his head. His eye began twitching violently as he forced himself to look up. What met him was that blank wide eyed stare. "RAHHH!" His hands shot up to throttle the bird, but he only grabbed at air. "Dammit! Where did that little shit go_?_!"

Then he heard a piercing cry right next to his ear. "ROO-EROO-EROOOO!"

"GYAH!" The damn bird hand been right on his shoulder!

Zoro shot down the deck, swatting at his clothing and growling like a madman.

There had to be a safe place, but where? Where could he go the shitty bird wouldn't be able to get into? His mind then locked on the one place he hadn't see the bird. _'The kitchen!'_

Ever since the episode where Sanji finally lost his temper, the cook had practically been living in the galley. He apparently wasn't trusting anyone, so placed locks on the inside of the kitchen door. Making it impossible to get inside without invitation.

It was the only place the rooster hadn't followed him.

Sprinting to the galley door, Zoro pounded on it desperately. "Sanji! Let me in!" He tried to make it sound more like an order than a plea, but the desperation was clear in his voice.

"Why do you want in?" came Sanji's muffled reply.

"I wanna get away from this damn bird!" He wasn't going to lie. He was wanting to hide. He wanted to run and hide from that psychotic bird. After pounding on the door a few more times he heard the locks being undone. The moment the door was cracked open enough, Zoro pounced inside. He nearly knocked over Sanji in his haste to slam the door shut and relock everything.

"Oi! What the hell.. I offer you asylum, and you treat me like that?" Sanji grunted as he straightened out his pinstripe shirt. His curly eyebrow quirked up high when he saw the swordsman pressed back against the door with his eyes closed tightly and gasping heavily. "Um.. Is chicken little scarin' you that bad?"

Zoro let out a strangled growl. "I'm not scared, shithead! That bird is drivin me fuckin crazy!"

Sanji hummed lightly and lifted his left hand to examine the bandage wrapped around his palm. "I can understand that.. I haven't seen it yet, but that stupid crow made me jump enough to cut my hand while I was peeling potatoes." He looked back to the swordsman curiously. "Does it really look like Usopp?"

"Yes.. That may be the most irritating thing..." Zoro placed his calloused hands over his face and groaned in frustration. "This is so stupid.. Everyone else is treating that bird like a fuckin pet. No one will believe me when I tell them it keeps attacking me."

The cook couldn't keep the laugh out of his voice. "It's attacking you? The great Zoro struck down by a shitty Usopp bird! HA!"

Now pissed, Zoro was about to reach for one of his katana when a hard force slammed into his chest. He grunted at the slight pain in the center of his chest and looked down to see a black shoe planted there. Keeping him pinned. His gaze shot up, but he was surprised by the evil smirk that was on the cook's pale face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Sanji let out a low chuckle, leaning in a bit as he kept his foot in place. "I'm lettin you know the terms of your sanctuary here. This is my kitchen. So if you expect to hide in here from that shitty bird, you better do exactly as I say. Got that?"

Right eye twitching again, Zoro glared at the pervy cook. "And what makes you think I won't just kick your ass and chuck you out that door?"

The cook's smirk only grew wider. More sinister. "You ever mess with a cook in their element? I can kill you with everything in this room."

Zoro was about to call the cook's bluff, but then his eyes glanced to all of the knife blocks, iron pans, glasses, dishes, the stove, and other heavy blunt objects. To a person that knew how to use it, the kitchen was a torture chamber. Even a potato could be deadly, and made the swordsman think of highly unpleasant images. "Why do I get the feeling you've made good on that threat before...?"

"Hm.. Those instincts of yours are sharp as ever." Sanji leaned further forward until his chin was nearly past his knee. "It's one of the perks of being a professional chef. We know a lot about where vital points are... Tendons.. Arteries... Tender tissue.. How much force it takes to pierce flesh... Crush bone..." He pressed his foot a bit harder into the broad chest to place emphasis on his words.

The pressure was becoming painful, and Zoro knew a hard hit to the center of the chest from the cook would deal a lot of internal damage. However this darker side to the chef confused him. "What the hell is up with you? Why are you angry at everyone?" He was even acting indifferent to both the girls. Not one frilly heart had popped up from the blonde since this had started. Not for a lack of trying on the girls' part. They were flirting and making closer contact to him, but Sanji brushed all of it off. _'Something's seriously off..'_

The smirk instantly fell to a frown as Sanji pulled away. "I can't stand people that take food without at least lettin me know.. It's the same as stealin." He turned away and moved to his table where his pack of cigarettes were. "I over look a lot of things, but I draw the line at stealin food.."

As a match was struck and a trail of smoke started to rise, Zoro found himself feeling a little concerned. "You've never seemed to mind when I broke into the liquor..."

"Booze isn't essential to survival. I can let that slide." Sanji took a long drag and breathed it in deep in a weak attempt to calm himself. He then let out the smoke slowly, his gaze cast to the floor. "I suppose you have a right to know.. Besides Chopper, you're the only one that hasn't just waltzed in and taken what you wanted.."

"Wait.. The right to know what? What's going on?" Zoro asked quickly.

A deep sigh left the cook as he hoisted himself to sit on the table. He puffed at his cigarette for a moment before he finally spoke. "I've known everyone's been takin stuff for a long time now.. It's getting to where I'm having to take inventory every other day."

Zoro blinked in surprise. "They have? Why haven't you said anything?"

Sanji lazily blew out a few smoke rings into the air. "I have. To everyone privately except you and Chopper. They knew that I was gettin tired of spending all my time counting up everything.. But they keep doing it. I don't have any other choice than to do this the hard way."

"Hard way?"

The blonde head nodded as that twisted smirk returned. "Everyone treats food so casually... Get too reckless and it can become deadly."

"What? You're gonna poison everyone?" Zoro asked sarcastically.

Sanji chuckled lightly. "Thought crossed my mind... But no, that would just be punishing Chopper in the long run."

The consideration impressed the swordsman. "Then what are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna cut back drastically on what I prepare. No more lavish spreads if they don't appreciate how hard I try to keep up with everything." the cook grunted flatly. "Everyone's gettin bare minimum."

"Won't that just piss them off and raid the kitchen more?"

The cook took another drag, finishing up the cigarette. "Probably...." He crushed out the butt in the bowl on the table and reached for his pack. "However, like I said a couple days ago.. All we have are potatoes. Everyone's either gonna let me do my job, or fend for themselves." He gave a sly glance to his crew mate. "How much you like chompin down raw potatoes, Marimo?"

He was just fine with potato dishes, but only having raw ones to gnaw on made Zoro cringe slightly. "I get your point..."

"Fabulous." Sanji lit anther cigarette and looked back to the swordsman. It was then he noticed the crimson line rolling down his tan neck. "Hm, chicken little scratched your jaw. What's the deal? Why's it attacking you?"

Surprised, Zoro lifted his hand and found a long cut on the corner of his jaw. "That fuckin bird is gonna die!" he growled. He was about to go on, but he froze when he spotted that damned rooster staring through one of the portholes into the galley. "Grah! There it is! I'm gonna chop its head off!"

Sanji quickly shot his attention to the window his crew mate pointed out, but blinked in confusion. "There's nothing there..."

"It does that to me constantly! It'll follow me and just stare at me! Then when I point it out the little shit disappears when anyone looks!" Zoro snapped loudly. He was being pushed closer to the brink of madness every time he was caught in that bird's stupid stare.

"Wow.. That's fuckin creepy..." Sanji mused on a laugh.

"I know!" Zoro was suddenly thrown off his oncoming tangent when Sanji hopped off the table. "What are you doing?" he asked when the cook moved to one of the cabinets.

Opening the cabinet, Sanji began pulling out some of his thicker darker colored aprons. "I don't like the thought of some creepy bird spying in my kitchen." he muttered as he moved to the first porthole.

His green head tilted in alarm, Zoro watched as the cook covered every window and closed every curtain. It made it darker, but there was no way anyone could see into the galley. It suddenly dawned on him that the bird finally couldn't torment him. "Damn... I never thought I'd say this.. But thanks..." He leaned heavily back against the door and slid down until he was sitting in the floor. A weak laugh left him as he closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief. "I thought I was gonna go crazy..."

"Oi, don't get too comfy, shithead." Sanji lightly kicked the swordsman's leg and grinned at the growling glare he received. "Growl all you like. If you don't follow my rules I'll let that bird in."

Zoro made a strange choking sound. "Okay! Tell me your fuckin rules..." He was at the pervy cook's mercy. _'How humiliating...'_

And Sanji knew it. "Alright, first rule, no movin my shit. If I find stuff where it's not supposed to be then I'll let that shitty bird have you."

"I can agree to that. What else?" He had no desire to mess with the cook's stuff. _'Never know what I might find in this pervert's kitchen...'_ That thought made Zoro shudder faintly.

Catching the shudder, Sanji snorted and blew smoke right in the swordsman's face. "Second rule, if I ask you to help me with something you do it. No complaining."

"Fine.. Anything else?" Zoro grumbled while fanning the smoke out of his face. _'Why do I feel like I'm selling my soul here?'_

"Third is don't get in my way." Sanji flicked his ash at the form at his feet. "I don't care what you do as long as it doesn't disturb me. You can sleep as long as you don't snore. You can train until you start stinkin. I'll throw you out and won't let you back in until you clean up. As long as you don't break anything and do as I say you'll be fine."

Unable to see much choice in the matter, Zoro let out a frustrated breath and nodded. "Fine... I'll agree to these stupid terms.. Now what?"

Sanji gestured towards the back of the Galley where there was a mountain of sacks filled with potatoes. "Put one of those sacks on the table. After that you can go sleep in the corner. You look like under cooked hell."

"Sleep..?" Zoro repeated, like the word was foreign to him.

"That's what you came in here for, right? To get away from that bird and rest?" Sanji clapped his hands loudly. "Chop chop, shithead! I got potatoes to peel!"

Although he was surprised, a wide grin soon spread over Zoro's face. _'I can finally sleep..!' _

"Yes, sir."

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TBC

Later~


	2. Footstool

_Author note:_ my inspiration for this comes from a pet rooster my neighbor has. I hate that thing with a passion.

Anywho

Enjoy~

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Chapter 2  
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"So that bird would really try to peck your eyes out when you tried to sleep?"

In the midst of his pushups, Zoro tried to ignore the heel digging into his back. "Yeah.. Fuckin bird scratched me up all to hell on my chest on the first night." he grunted as he kept up the motion of his arms.

Leaning back against the table as he sat on one of the benches, Sanji was peeling the massive pile of potatoes resting behind him on the table. He barely looked at what he was doing with the small sharp knife. He had been doing it nonstop for the past three days that the motion was automatic anymore. Pick up. Peel. Put down. Repeat. Thus why he had cut his hand when the rooster's crow startled him.

Then he had the brilliant idea to add something different to his chore. With his feet casually propped up on Zoro's back, he found peeling potatoes wasn't so bad. Especially since the Swordsman had no choice but to agree. "Did you see Chopper for it? Those kinda scratches can get pretty nasty if they're not looked after." He couldn't recall all the cuts and gashes that got infected after the Baratie got any fresh poultry shipments.

"Eh.. I treated them myself. They aren't bad. It doesn't do me any good to see Chopper when he's as hung up on that stupid bird as the rest of them." Zoro mumbled. He sounded quite dejected over it.

Chucking the peeled potato in a bin on the table, and the peel in a different bin on the floor near the green head, Sanji frowned as he reached for another. "That's just weird... Why don't they believe you? You don't lie."

Zoro paused, his arms extended fully as he glanced up at the cook. "So you do believe me...?" His surprise was apparent in his eyes.

"Tch.. Of course. Like I said, you don't lie." Sanji chucked part of a peel on the green head. "I haven't even seen the shitty bird and I already hate it. I told Usopp that if it was anywhere near me I'd fry it for dinner."

The peel that was thrown on his head irritated him, but still Zoro managed to smirk. "That's a dinner I'd like to attend..."

"Heh, if it's as fast as you said, we may hafta do some planning. Just leave it to me, Marimo. I'll figure out what to do about that shitty bird." The blonde mused aloud, tossing more potato peels at the figure under his feet.

One smacked him in his face, but Zoro tried to keep his temper in check. "Hn.. You sound awfully confident..." he grumbled before returning to his pushups. He had found that it was proving to be a challenge to keep count while being forced to play footstool. He was considering it as focus and discipline training. "I couldn't get him. What makes you think you can? Oomph!" He grunted sharply when a heel dug into his spine.

"For one thing, I'm smarter than you, meat head." Sanji was tempted to throw a whole potato at him, but he hated wasting food. "And I'm faster than you. Just be patient. I'll deal with that bird eventually."

"Hn.. Why not now, if you're that awesome?"

"And have that bird after me? No thank you." He knocked his heel down harder against the strong back. Just to hear the angered growl it pulled out. "No, you're going to be the decoy, sword boy. While it's fixated on you I'll be able to do what I need to. It'll work out eventually. Until then you're welcome to keep your new station. You make a decent footstool."

Zoro growled dangerously, but kept his place. "You best be grateful I hate that bird more than you right now..."

Sanji smirked and reached for his cigarettes. "You best be grateful that I'm being this nice to you. If you hadn't been the only one that didn't take advantage of my kitchen, I woulda let you suffer."

Smelling the fresh smoke filling the air, Zoro found himself curious. "Why has it made you so angry?"

He hadn't expected the question, but after a deep inhale Sanji decided to answer. "Taking advantage of a chef's kitchen without permission is about the same as someone using your precious swords to unclog a toilet."

The fact the cook even came up with the comparison was enough to make Zoro jerk out from under the feet on his back. He got to his knee and glared at the impudent cook. "How the hell is that anywhere near the same_?_! I should gut you for even suggesting it." he snarled, baring his teeth. Literally.

Hardly fazed by the display, Sanji calmly crossed his legs and kept peeling. "Now you know how I feel." He paused for a moment and pointed the knife he was using straight at the shirtless Zoro. "The kitchen is a chef's life. They keep it organized and maintained in a very specific way. Their heart and soul are poured into every detail to maximize their fullest potential...." Sanji's eyes suddenly narrowed and with a fling of his wrist he sent the small knife flying towards Zoro.

The knife traveled at an alarming rate that Zoro found himself unable to dodge before it struck. A thunking sound of metal hitting wood sounded loud in the quiet galley. The first thing Zoro noticed was that he wasn't hit. His eyes shot down to see the knife embedded in the floor. Pinning a small black fly to the wood by its wings. Zoro felt his jaw drop at the sight of the still squirming insect trapped by the blade.

"How did.."

A loud snort left the cook as he stood from the chair. "You think you're the only one that knows how to handle a sharp edge?" He bent over to pull the knife free and crushed the insect under his foot. "I grew up my entire life around knives and pirates. Put two and two together, idiot."

Zoro's eyes widened when he realized what was just confessed. "You can use edged weapons.."

"Bingo." Sanji calmly moved over to the sink and began washing off his knife. "A knife is the most important tool... Back at the Baratie, if you disrespected a knife you got your head kicked in." His right hand lifted to trace a barely visible scar that traveled the length of his jaw. "I only disrespected a knife once.. Zeff almost killed me for it." He turned off the water and dried the knife carefully with a towel. "You take care of your knives and your hands..."

"Makes sense..." Zoro muttered. "So you could use an edge weapon if you wanted to, but it exposes your hands too much..."

"Yup." Sanji replaced the knife in the empty slot of the block closest to the sink. "That's what finally set me off..."

"What? You mean three days ago..?"

The cook didn't answer for a moment as he traced a long crack that was in the wooden knife block with his finger. Looking at the crack made his temper flare slightly. "When I came in that morning... My knives had been knocked over and scattered all over the floor.. And one of my paring knives had the tip broken off from where one of them used it to pick the locks..." he muttered while pulling out the small knife that had the tip missing.

Zoro studied the look of anger and frustration that was trying to pull over the man's pale face. For perhaps the first time, Zoro understood what the cook was going through. Not only understood, but sympathized. _'That's what I felt when my swords were destroyed by Mihawk...'_ If that was the case, then there was a chance that Sanji had understood him in that moment as well.

He was broken from his thoughts when the bin of potato peelings next to him was picked up. Zoro watched curiously as the cook carried them to the sink and began washing them. "What are you doing?"

Filling the bin with water, Sanji sifted through the peelings. "I'm gonna make a snack out of the peelings. Little butter, salt and pepper with some garlic. You can bake them or fry them depending on how crispy you like them. They're good for munchin on.. I think my footstool will like it."

The not so subtle considerate offer made a faint smirk twitch onto Zoro's face. "Well hurry the fuck up. This footstool's hungry." The light chuckle he heard made his smirk widen. Without another word Zoro returned to his workout.

_'Maybe this arrangement isn't so bad after all..'_

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"How come Zoro gets to spend so much time in here and you won't let us_?_!" Luffy demanded at his place at the table.

Sanji calmly walked around the table passing around the bowls of potato soup that were balanced on his arms. "I'm bribing him with extra snacks to guard the kitchen for when I have to step out." He patted the green head with an evil grin as he passed. "He has instructions to decapitate anyone that sneaks in."

It annoyed him that he was being treated like a guard dog, but he wasn't about to lose his food and his safe haven. So Zoro nodded. "It's a pretty decent set up. I get fed whether I have to do anything or not." he commented lightly as he took the bowl that was placed in front of him.

"This is mutiny!" Nami cried out while trying to give her best pout to the mean cook.

"It is_?_!" both Usopp and Chopper cried out before ducking under the table. "Our two strongest fighters turning against us! We're doomed!"

Sanji quirked up an eyebrow and lightly kicked Usopp's quivering backside . "Oi! I just cleaned the floor. I don't need you pissin yourself all over it." he grunted as he sat down the last two bowls.

Robin wanted to be amused, but she felt a tad of guilt for being part of the reason that started this. When he glanced in her direction she bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Chef-san. It smells delicious." she said quietly before taking up her spoon.

Sanji quirked up his visible brow again, but he was soon smiling slightly. He didn't respond to her, but when he retrieved a basket of fresh bread sticks he went to her place at the table first and gently placed his hand on her shoulder while offering her first pick. The grateful smile that pulled over her elegant features as she took the warm bread sticks and the calm upward twitch of his lips spoke volumes as the rest were too occupied with dinner.

Zoro noticed all of this take place from his seat opposite of Robin. He knew body language well enough. _'She's apologized.. And Sanji's forgiven her... I'm impressed.. No frilly hearts or anything...'_ It made him wonder if perhaps he didn't know the pervy love cook as well as he thought.

Dinner went somewhat smoothly after that. Luffy still complained about there being no meat, but, other than that, they still enjoyed the soup Sanji had carefully prepared.

"Well! I think I'll go tinker some more with my latest invention!" Usopp declared with an over dramatic yawn as he tried to head for the door. He was about to pull open the door when a heavy black shoe planted on it dead center. Causing it to slam back closed. The loud crash the door made startled everyone and nearly caused Usopp to bite his tongue. His wide eyes glanced hesitantly to see the menacing single eyed scowl the cook had placed on him. "He-hey, S-sanji..." he squeaked nervously.

That single blue eye narrowed dangerously. "Empty your pockets..." he stated flatly.

Usopp swallowed hard and tried to glance at where the others were still seated watching in alarm. However the moment he tried he found his nose caught tightly between Sanji's thumb and index finger. "Ow ow ow ow! Sanji! Leggo!"

Ignoring the flailing hands and blank stares, Sanji pulled harder on the long nose. "I'm talking to you, dammit. Don't look away from me. Now empty your fuckin pockets or I'm using you as fish bait."

His eyes were starting to water at the painful grip on his nose, so Usopp quickly shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out four bread sticks that he had snuck out of the basket during dinner. "I'm sorry! They're for Chibi Captain Usopp!" he yelped in fear.

"Tch..." was Sanji's first response before glaring hard at the sniper. "It's shit like this that started this little situation we have here... Now.. If you wanted some extra bread to feed that shitty little bird, you could have just fuckin ASKED ME!" he snapped loudly right into Usopp's ear.

"WAHH! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Usopp clasped his hands together and closed his eyes tightly. "Please may I have some extra bread to feed Chibi Captain Usopp_?_!"

To everyone's surprise, Sanji released his hold on Usopp's nose and took his foot off the door. "Yes, you may."

The shock was clear on Usopp's face as he blinked for a moment. "I.. I may..?"

Sanji smoothly pulled out one of his cigarettes and nodded. "No one goes hungry around me. That includes shitty little Usopp birds. Just keep the thing away from me." He took a match and gave one quick swipe against a rough part on Usopp's goggles. He held the now lit match dangerously close to the sniper's face. "Got it..?"

Feeling the heat from the flame against his face, Usopp gave a choked whimper. "Got it!"

"Good." Sanji opened the door and gestured out it as he lit his cigarette. "Now get out of here before I have Marimo fillet you."

Usopp's eyes snapped towards the swordsman and the blood drained from his face when Zoro got a rather predatory look as he slowly stood from the table. "WAHH! Run away!" he cried out while dashing away as fast as his legs could take him.

The moment the sniper disappeared, Sanji looked back at his crew still at the table. He took a long drag and let it out slowly before settling a bland stare on all of them. "Alright, come clean. Who else was going to swipe food for that shitty bird?" he asked with a tone of weakening patience.

Zoro wasn't surprised when Luffy and Nami placed the bread they had taken on the table, but he was surprised when a teary eyed Chopper removed a bread stick from under his hat. His gaze shot towards the cook and he immediately saw the disappointed frown that was focused on the little doctor. At that moment he didn't know who he felt more sorry for. Chopper or Sanji.

Sanji bowed his head and let out a long stream of smoke slowly. He then pinched the bridge of his nose tightly and pointed to the opened door with a jerk of his thumb. "Whatever.. Just take it and get out..." he grunted in exasperation.

Although hesitant, Nami and Luffy took the bread sticks and quickly left the kitchen before the cook snapped again.

Chopper looked at Sanji with wide fearful eyes, but the look of defeat in the normally brazen cook's posture stung more than any scolding. He sniffled softly and looked at the bread stick he was going to steal for a moment. Shaking his head, his tiny hooves placed it back on the table and pushed it away from him. The little doctor slid off his seat and slowly walked towards the galley door. He paused for a moment at the door and bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Sanji..." Chopper whispered then trudged out of the galley.

Zoro found himself glancing towards the still seated Robin and saw the worried expression on her calm face. Neither of them said a word as they kept their eyes on the clearly irritated chef. When Sanji only leaned heavily against the door frame in a clearly pensive stance, Robin looked to the table and stood. Without a word she began clearing off the table and carrying the dirty dishes to the sink.

Catching on, Zoro stood as well and helped her. Once the table was cleared and Robin was busying herself washing up the dishes, Zoro moved to the cook and tugged on the rolled up sleeve of his dark blue shirt. "Go sit down. We'll clean up."

Sanji lifted his head and looked at the swordsman briefly with a questioning gaze, but he soon nodded and wordlessly moved to sit at the table.

The fact that the blonde did as he was told without so much as a snide remark troubled Zoro greatly. _'Shit.. This really is bothering him...'_ Although he could hardly blame the cook after that entire episode that just took place. All of them knew that Sanji refused to let even his enemies go hungry, yet they felt the need to steal from him. The look on Sanji's face as he quietly smoked at the table was one of barely contained betrayal.

He knew Sanji probably wanted to swear and kick the walls until his face turned blue, but as long as Robin was trying to help he would keep calm. _'Has more restraint than I do...'_ he thought as he moved to the sink to start drying the dishes and putting them away.

Robin saw the concerned expression on the swordsman's face out of the corner of her eye. It was unusual, but it made her hum quietly in intrigue. _'Looks as if Swordsman-san is worried for cook-san... Wonder what has happened between the two of them...'_ she thought to herself as she and a few extra hands scrubbed at the bowls. "I had no intention to contribute to something that would upset him this much..." she whispered to Zoro as one of her spare hands passed over a newly washed bowl.

"He's already forgiven you. Probably Chopper too since he apologized... He's just pissed right now. It'll blow over once we're able to resupply." Zoro muttered back as he ran the faded red dish towel over the bowl.

A faint frown formed over Robin's brow. "The next island is still a few days away... I hope the others will not try anything else like this..."

Zoro smirked despite the dour mood and found himself chuckling. "If Usopp does anything else I have no doubt that he will chop him up and serve him with a side of potato cakes."

"I was thinking more of along the lines of mincing him up and making a Shepard's pie."

The lighter voice had the pair at the sink glance back at the table and focus on the chef who was watching them with his chin propped on his fist. There was the beginnings of a smirk on his pale face, which Zoro quickly mirrored. "That sounds like it might be good. I still want my Usopp jerky, though."

"And I am still curious about how brains taste." Robin added casually, glad to see the mirth back in the cook's eye.

Sanji flicked the ashes off his cigarette into a cup still resting on the table and gave his most charming smile to the woman. "I just so happen to know a few recipes... Alas, I need more spices than I currently have stocked. With Usopp providing the main ingredient I'm afraid it'll be a single serving dish, but more than worth it for my lovely Robin-chan~." he purred, a few hearts floating around his head.

A brilliant smile covered the woman's face now that she was back in the cook's good graces. "I'm certain whatever you can manage will be nothing short of perfection. As always, Chef-san."

Right on cue, Zoro watched as the idiot cook seemed to melt onto the table at the praise from the beautiful archeologist. _'At least he's not brooding. I'd rather him be annoying than depressed like a minute ago.'_

The blonde suddenly snapped his fingers as he recalled something. "Oh! I nearly forgot about the special dessert I prepared!" he said in his dramatic style before practically dashing to the fridge.

"Dessert?" Zoro repeated in confusion. "I only saw you working with potatoes today."

A slight snort left the chef as he pulled out a large glass baking pan from the fridge. "There are desserts that use potatoes as the main ingredient. Most of them are fairly simple like this one." He placed the glass pan on the wooden counter next to one of his knife blocks and pulled out a small knife.

Robin looked over his shoulder as he began cutting the thick light brown substance in the pan into small squares. "What is it?"

Not answering at first, Sanji sat the knife aside and opened a close by drawer to pull out a fork. He had one of the small squares pierced onto the fork and offered it to her. "Potato fudge." he stated with a smile.

A bit perplexed, Robin took the offered fork and eyed the candy for a moment. She could smell the sugary scent that came from it and finally lifted the fork to her lips. The second her tongue came in contact her eyes widened at the rich creamy flavor that instantly overwhelmed her. "This.. Is amazing... It's so decadent..." she said in clear astonishment.

Sanji grinned brightly at her before going to a cabinet to retrieve an empty tin box and a roll of parchment paper. "I know. It's ridiculously rich. It was one of my favorite candy recipes when I was first starting out as a chef. It's more of an occasional treat than a real dessert, but I like to indulge a sweet tooth every now and then." he chuckled as he began filling the tin box with the fudge. The moment the box was filled he closed the lid and held it out to Robin. "Here. If you don't mind, could you please take some of it to Chopper? I had made this with him in mind to begin with."

Her own smile returning, Robin nodded as she took hold of the box. "Should I tell him anything specific?"

"Tell him I need to discuss possibly having everyone take vitamin supplements until we can resupply properly. I may still be pissed at everyone, but it's no reason for everyone to get ill without the right nutrition."

"That's very considerate of you." Robin moved a bit closer and smoothly placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Chef-san. Dinner was lovely."

The frilly pink hearts returned full force as a wide shit eating grin split Sanji's face. "It was entirely my pleasure, my dearest Robin-chan~! You've sent my heart soaring with your generous words! Oh, my face has been set ablaze by the warmth of those stunning lips!" he exclaimed, swooning back against the counter.

"Here, let me help you cool down then." Zoro promptly threw the wet dish towel at the cook's face. Just to hear the growl that immediately followed.

Sanji pulled the damp towel off his face and glared hard at the swordsman smirking at him. "You're pushin it, kelp head! I will kick your ass outta here."

Although it was a threat that made his eye want to twitch, Zoro folded his arms over his chest and snorted. "And lose your guard dog?" he asked sarcastically.

The cook wanted to snap, but a smirk curled his lips. "Actually I enjoy my footstool more than my guard dog..."

"Footstool?" Robin repeated curiously, confused by the strange choking expression on Zoro's face.

Zoro balked at the thought of anyone knowing about the degrading position he was forced under duress to take on. He knew that Luffy and Usopp would never let him hear the end of it, but he was somewhat surprised that Sanji had yet to mention it before now. "Don't ask, Robin... Just.. Don't ask..." he muttered before returning to putting away the dishes.

A black brow quirked up at the strange behavior, but once she saw the beyond pleased expression on the blonde cook's face she found herself even more curious. But it was a mystery she was willing to wait to solve. "I believe I shall take these to Doctor-san now. Thank you again for dinner and the sweets." she called out with a respectful bow.

"Any time, my beloved!" Sanji cooed as the woman left the galley.

The moment she disappeared and the door was closed Sanji let out a deep sigh and leaned heavily on the counter. "Well.. That was an eventful dinner..." he murmured loudly while rubbing at his tired eyes.

The swordsman glanced at the blonde for a moment and instantly noticed the exhaustion. "You're stressing over this too much."

"No, I'm holding back too much.." Sanji corrected flatly. He turned his attention back to the half pan of fudge on the counter next to him and stabbed another piece with the fork. His eyes took in the texture and the consistency of the rich candy with a bit of nostalgia. "Back on the Baratie.. Stealing food was high treason. Ruining kitchen utensils was worse than murder... Anyone that got caught we made them wish they were rotting in hell."

Now understanding, Zoro frowned deeply and turned to face the cook. "You're angrier than you're letting on... You're holding back because they're nakama."

"I wanted to crack Usopp's fuckin skull open... I wanted to nail Luffy's hands to the keel..."

"And Nami?"

Sanji set his jaw rigidly, but shook his head. "I will never hurt a woman no matter what..." he stated with all of his conviction.

Zoro had heard this from him several times before, and personally found it pointless. "Even if said woman was about to destroy everything important to you?" he challenged with a glare.

But that blonde head still shook. "I will never harm a woman... I'd rather die than break that vow..."

"And give up on all you've worked for? Your dream of that All Blue you always talk about?" The moment he asked, Zoro was puzzled by the way Sanji's free hand reached up and acted like he wanted to touch his left eye. His pale fingers hesitated an inch away from the fall of blonde hair that permanently covered the eye. _'What the... What is he doing..?'_ Zoro wondered with a raised brow.

Sanji ended up clenching his hand into a fist and forcing it stiffly down to his side. "I don't care... That is the one rule that I will not bend for..." He looked to the moss head and pointed the fork at him. "Here, try it."

Blinking at the redirection, Zoro looked at the piece of fudge warily. "I don't have much of a sweet tooth."

"Eat it or I won't give you your reward for being a good moss headed guard dog."

Zoro tilted his head in confusion. "Rewa-mmph!" He was cut off when the candy was shoved into his open mouth. It almost choked him, but soon he was chewing on the sugary confection. He swallowed hard and grimaced slightly. "What the fuck.. Is that entirely made of sugar?" he asked, opening his mouth and scraping his tongue against his teeth in a weak attempt to scrape the taste off.

A mildly interested expression fell over the cook's features as he looked to the pan of fudge. "Hm.. Guess it's an acquired taste..." he mused to himself before taking a piece for himself. Instead of chewing, Sanji let the fudge rest on his tongue and allowed it to melt a bit. His eye closed while a soft hum of pleasure left him. The creamy sweetness calmed him almost as much as one of his precious cigarettes. Suddenly his troubles felt muted. "Mm... Perfection... Used to use this recipe a lot... Very effective in making certain activities more.. Tasty." he said mainly to himself as pleasing memories filled his mind.

A skeptical look was etched on Zoro's face as he hesitantly tried to sort through the different meanings to that phrase. Eventually he snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sure. This coming from the guy that turns into a gooey puddle at the whiff of any girly perfume."

Sanji smirked and got another piece of the fudge. "If I really wanted someone I'd get them. I just like playing..." He let his tongue slowly trail along the edges of the fudge square before taking it into his mouth. "Haven't you ever heard the expression good food is better than sex? Try combining the two. It can be very... Enthralling." he pieced together on a low chuckle.

Zoro's eyebrow hitched up high at the strange expression on the cook's face. "So what? You're just playing with Nami and Robin?"

"Of course. Nami's got too many anger issues, and Robin could kill me if I pissed her off. Which usually happens when I love em then leave em."

That admission had Zoro frowning in a mixture of mild disgust and exasperation. "You really are a perverted bastard..."

To which Sanji nodded readily. "That I am. But this perverted bastard is the only thing keeping you from starving out here, oh shitty Marimo. Which brings me back to your reward."

"What reward?" Zoro asked as he watched the cook return to the fridge.

The chef began moving several things around in the fridge before pulling out a covered platter. Closing the fridge door with his hip, Sanji took the platter to the table and sat it down. He then looked over at the swordsman, pointed at the bench and smirked. "Sit, Guard dog."

He wanted to smack the look off that pale face, but he decided to at least see this 'reward' first. He moved cautiously to the bench seat and sat down. The moment he did a pale hand removed the cover to show several sandwiches stacked high and filled with...

"Meat?" Zoro blinked in surprise and shot his attention to the smirking cook. "But I thought you said we were out..."

Sanji nodded, but gave a sly look. "I lied. Hid some smoked salmon behind a pile of asparagus. Luffy won't go near the stuff."

Now feeling like he had been tricked, Zoro was conflicted on whether to be pissed or not. "Apparently I won't either... That's evil. Hiding good meat behind green shit."

That comment pulled a loud bark of laughter from the blonde. "You're a fine one to talk about hiding behind green shit, Moss head!" He roughly messed up the short green hair to hear the growl it provoked. "I was saving it for an elegant brunch platter for the ladies, but I didn't want my guard dog's energy to give out. Now be a good doggy and eat."

The smack that was delivered to the back of his head irritated him, but Zoro wasn't one to bite the hand that fed him. He took up one of the sandwiches and was slightly puzzled how they seemed to fit perfectly into his large hands. The salty smell of the salmon made his stomach growl impatiently, so he took an experimental bite. "Fuckin hell.. That's more like it..." he groaned the moment the flavors of the fish and other ingredients took over his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, ya uncultured ape." Sanji chided, kneeing the swordsman in the side lightly.

However 'lightly' from Sanji was still enough to almost make Zoro choke mid swallow. He placed a dark glare on the haughty blonde, but kept himself seated. "If you weren't so damn good at cooking I woulda killed you by now." he grumbled before tearing back into his sandwich.

Although it was meant as another jab in their constant battle of egos, Sanji's expression became somber. "If I wasn't so damn good at cooking I woulda died a long time ago..." he mumbled before turning away.

The strange tone had Zoro looking back where the cook was washing out the sink. That defeated stance was back in the blonde's slim shoulders, and it had Zoro's frown returning. _'What's up with him..?'_ He wasn't sure how to deal with the broody cook. Somehow punching him in the back of the head didn't seem like the productive thing to do, so he decided to just leave it be. _'If he feels like talking he will... But I'm curious about the way he hesitated touching his eye...'_

That question could wait though.

His mind had already shut off into food mode.

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TBC

Later~


	3. The attention

_Author Note: _Such nice reviews I'm getting. Just so you know, I can be bribed with reviews that make me smile. The more I get, the faster I might update. _*hint hint*_

Enjoy~

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Chapter 3

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Surrounded by the muffling blue depths of the endless ocean around him, Zoro let himself be pulled through the water by the tow line he had tied around his waist. The taste of the salmon in the sandwiches the cook had given him the day before had left him craving meat so much that he decided to get it himself. He usually preferred using Usopp as bait, but he wasn't about to go where that damn bird was certain to be.

Since he had taken on the deal that Sanji had made he noticed that the little rooster seemed to be absent whenever he had to make any quick trips outside the galley. If it hadn't been for the damn crowing every morning he would have thought the bird was gone. Unfortunately he wasn't that lucky.

Those thoughts were pushed out of his mind when he saw a large green fish of some kind swimming towards him. _'Hello, Mr. Fish... Prepared to get your skull cracked open.' _he thought with a wide grin as he raised the harpoon in his hand. He wasn't about to subject his precious swords to the harshness of the salt water more than he had to.

As the fish drew closer he soon noticed the large menacing teeth in its gaping mouth. _'Let's see who has the worst bite...' _He kept relatively still and waited. The fish was bigger than he expected. Probably twice the size of the average fishman, but its mouth was able to open an impressive six feet. More than adequate to swallow Zoro sized bait. _'Just try it...' _he mentally dared with a sadistic grin.

The fish sliced through the water straight for him. Mouth wide open and teeth ready to rip into him. Despite the resistance of the water slowing his movements, he was still faster by far. He lunged with the harpoon straight into the fish's open mouth. The barbed point of the harpoon pierced through the roof of the fish's mouth and plowed straight into its brain. Even under the water Zoro could hear a satisfying crunch as the harpoon forced its way straight through the fish's head.

The already dead fish still struggled for a few moments, but Zoro's hands were like a vice on the harpoon. Within a matter of seconds the green fish stilled as death set in and blood made the water murky. He knew that the bloodied water would attract more fish, but he had already stayed in the water longer than he really should have. His lungs were beginning to burn in complaint about the lack of air, and he was fairly certain he would have rope burns around his waist. _'Better get this fish to the galley.'_ he decided while starting to tug himself up the rope.

It was a slower climb than it would have normally been since his left hand was still gripping the harpoon. He made good use of his teeth as he kept moving up the rope, but it was soon proving tiresome. _'Plus this damn rope tastes funny...' _Once he had gotten a good distance up the rope he quickly tied the slack through the ring at the end of the harpoon. The moment it was secure, Zoro untied himself and climbed up the rope.

He took a deep gasping breath after he broke through the water's surface, but didn't pause in his upwards course. Soon his hands were curling around the railing of the ship, but when he hoisted himself up he was met by a too familiar blank stare. Zoro's dark eyes widened when he found the stupid bird mere inches from his face staring at him.

The bird stared at the soaked swordsman for a moment before looking down. When Zoro looked down he immediately saw the knot for the tow line. His left eye twitched hard as his attention snapped back on the bird. "No... Don't you fucking dare..." he growled threateningly.

Those wide eyes narrowed into slits and once more took on the evil red hue. The scrawny beak then lunged at the ropes to peck them apart. Zoro found himself reacting instantly by thrusting his right arm out to swat at the rooster and protect the ropes. The moment he did he winced and hissed sharply when the bird went nuts.

Pecking and clawing while its wings flapped violently, the bird ruthlessly attacked. "Fuckin bird!" Zoro snarled as he tried in vain to swat at the bird while clinging to the railing and protecting the rope. He wasn't about to let a shitty bird cost him his dinner.

However the scratches were beginning to burn more than they should have, and he was losing his grip on the rail. _'I'm not gonna let this fuckin bird get the best of me!'_ he hissed within his mind. With an angered growl he forced himself to shove past the bird and climb over the railing. The moment his feet were back on deck he was startled when the attack stopped.

"What the..." He glanced all around him, but the bird was no where to be seen.

His confusion was short lived when the sting in his arm made him look down. Angry red welts crisscrossed along his forearm punctuated by cuts where the viciously sharp beak pierced his skin. _'Fuck.. Why is it burning...?'_ the burn was very painful, but it didn't make sense. None of the other scratches had burned.

"Shit... I'll clean it later... I'm gettin my damn fish.." he muttered while returning to the rope. He made quick work of hoisting it onto the ship. With how his luck had been lately he half way expected a larger fish to try to steal his kill from him.

Not that he would have let that happen. "I woulda hunted the fucker down if that happened.. After all this damn trouble I've put myself through.. Fuckin bird..." he grumbled as he carried the fish to the Galley.

At the galley door he kicked on it a few times to get the cook's attention. "Oi! Lemme in!" he called out and shifted the dead fish in his arms.

The galley door soon cracked open, but once the cook saw what his guard dog was holding he opened the door wide. "Oh my, you brought me a present. How sweet." he practically cooed. He stepped aside to let Zoro in and quickly shut the door behind him. "Set it on the table and I'll get to cleaning it."

Sanji nearly skipped to the counter to get his scaling knife, but when he turned around he paused when he noticed the blood on the swordsman's arm. "You're bleeding..." His gaze shot towards the large teeth on the fish. "Did it get you?"

An insulted snort left Zoro's lips and he sat himself heavily on a bench. "Hardly. The fish didn't touch me. That fuckin bird attacked me when I was climbing back on board." He looked at the now bleeding welts and grimaced as burn persisted. "Fuck.. Why is it burning..?" he asked on a hiss.

"Burning..?" Sanji repeated with a deep frown. He placed his scaling knife down and approached his comrade. Once he was standing in front of him he held out his hand. "Let me see it."

Zoro hesitated a moment, but the concerned frown didn't waver. So with a deep sigh of frustration, Zoro held out his arm. The cook was surprisingly gentle as he took hold of it. But the burn kept growing. "Fuck.. The burn keeps getting worse..." he grunted.

His frown deepening, Sanji examined the scratches closely. He wasn't a doctor of chopper's degree, but he had patched up enough idiots at the Baratie to know the basics. "Weird... They don't look all that deep..." He leaned in closer, but when he did his visible eye widened when he noticed a familiar scent. "What the hell...?"

Zoro frowned at the shock on the cook's face. "What is it?"

Sanji didn't answer. Instead he opened his mouth and let his tongue lightly trail over one of the welts that wasn't bleeding.

His eyes nearly bulging out of his head, Zoro jerked his arm away and bolted from his seat. Nearly pushing Sanji to the ground in his haste. "What the fuck do you think you're doing_?_!" he demanded on a yell. Purposely ignoring the weird fluttering in his gut.

Hardly about to back away, Sanji glared at the musclebound idiot and pointed stiffly at the injured arm. "Your arm, dumb fuck. There's pepper in those scratches. That's why it's burning." he informed him flatly.

Blinking in confusion, Zoro raised his arm and looked at it. "Pepper..?"

"From what I can tell it tastes and smells like the pepper that Usopp uses for those explosive pepper star things." Sanji explained further as he turned around and headed for the sink.

For a moment Zoro was too stunned to respond, but after a few seconds he was nearly fuming with anger. "That fuckin bird coated its feet in pepper before it attacked me_?_! That's it, I'm killing that thing right now!" he roared and stomped towards the door.

"Shut the hell up and sit the fuck down, Marimo!"

Pausing at the door, Zoro glanced back at the blonde at the sink. "What the hell for? That bird has it coming!"

Sanji shook his head and turned the cold water on full. "I told you to leave that shitty bird to me. Now get your ass on a bench so I can clean up your arm. It'll really get infected if you don't wash that pepper out." He turned off the tap and pulled a large roasting pan out of the sink that was filled with water. When he turned around he glared at the swordsman who was still poised at the door. "Oi! That was an order, shithead! Sit down!"

Although he was pissed at the way the cook was talking to him, he couldn't ignore the burning that was growing more painful. "Grr.. Fine..." he grunted as he moved away from the door. Soon he sat himself back on the bench and took the roasting pan that was handed to him.

"Now rest that on your lap and let your arm soak in it for a minute while I clean up this fish..." Sanji took a look at the fish and hummed in thought. "Ya know... I'll hafta take this out on deck and clean it there. I don't feel like getting any surprises spilled out on my kitchen floor."

Zoro raised a brow as he placed his forearm in the pan of water. "Surprises?" The moment his arm submerged into the water he gave a short sigh. The burn immediately lessened, and he felt a bit foolish for being so stubborn. _'He's not gonna do anything bad to me.. Why do I always expect it..?'_

Sanji snorted lightly and moved to get a large tub and filled it with the knives he would need. "You can never be sure what will fall out of a large fish's stomach when you cut em open. I've found other fish, coins, birds, random animals, and an entire human torso. It can get pretty nasty." He moved to the door and opened it to yell out. "Oi! Luffy! Usopp! Get your asses over here and help me with somethin!"

Luffy instantly bounced to the galley and was quick to spot the fish. "Oh wow! Look at that fish! You mean we get meat tonight_?_ Huh huh huh_?_!" he asked eagerly.

"Maybe if you help out. Take it out on deck. I need space to clean it." Sanji ordered. He then saw Usopp's nose carefully peaking around the corner. "Usopp! Get me a big table and secure it to the deck! Then I want you to get me a few buckets of water ready!" he commanded on a firm tone.

"Wah! Yes, Sanji!" the marksman yelped, followed by his hurried footsteps.

Zoro then watched in a silent amusement as Luffy hopped into the galley and carted off the large fish chanting "Meat meat meat meat!"

Sanji glanced back at his guard dog and pointed at him. "Just let your arm soak for a minute, then wash it off in the sink. I'll grab some bandages from Chopper after I'm done with this." he called out before stepping out of the galley and closing the door.

Now alone in the galley, Zoro focused on his arm in the pan. The fact that the cook was taking care of him, however unorthodox the methods, puzzled him. They barely tolerated one another most of the time. Hurling insults and attacks as easily as breathing. However underneath the attitude, Zoro saw how readily Sanji was to tackle any challenge on their behalf. Sure, the pink floaty hearts everywhere and the swooning over anything in a skirt was annoying as hell, but when the hearts were absent Zoro saw another side to the pervy cook.

'_I guess he's not that bad... At least he believes me about that stupid rooster...'_

He lifted his arm out of the water and looked over the welts and still bleeding scratches. The welts weren't as a swollen as they were a moment ago, but there was still a lingering burn. "Better wash it..." He sat the pan on the table and moved to the sink. There he turned on the cold water and scrubbed at his arm under the running water. He noticed a dispenser of antibacterial soap next to the faucet, so he got a good amount in hand and soaped up his arm. It stung like hell, but he was quick to wash all of the foam off and grab a clean dish towel from one of the numerous drawers.

He kept the towel wrapped around his arm in case the deeper scratches started bleeding. He thought about just sitting still and waiting for the cook to come back, but that idea made him uncomfortable for some strange reason. So instead he retrieved the roast pan from the table and dumped out the water. He cleaned up the pan as best he could and set it out of the way to dry. His attention soon turned to the blood that had gotten on the table from the fish.

Sanji was sure to scrub everything thoroughly before dinner, but he figured he could at least start. He grabbed one of the older dish towels and began wiping up the crimson liquid off the table. As he did his mind wandered to what Sanji had said when he first sought out asylum within the galley. About how being a chef gave a person insight on the limits of flesh and bone.

Now that he thought of it, it sounded like a useful learning tool. _'Sure it's animal flesh, but it can't be that different from humans. I'd guess that a professional chef knows as much as a doctor when it comes to where vital points are...' _If that really was the case, then Sanji was bound to be deadly accurate if he ever decided to wield a blade weapon. However Zoro knew that would never happen. The cook valued his hands far too much to risk them in any fashion.

'_Wonder what would happen if he put some kind of blade on his shoes...'_ Zoro instantly had images of body parts flying everywhere. _'That would be interesting.. Until he tried to kick a wall and get his foot stuck..' _The thought had Zoro smirking as he tossed the bloodied dishtowel in the sink and washed off his hands.

He had just settled back onto the bench when the door to the galley opened. In walked Sanji with the tub he had taken filled with thick slabs of fish meat and a white plastic box balanced on his blonde head. "Damn, that fishy was haulin some serious meat on him. We should be good for the rest of the trip to the next island with this." Sanji announced while carting the heavy tub to the counter.

Glad to hear that his catch was that good, Zoro leaned against the table and glanced curiously at the white box balanced perfectly on the sun colored hair. "Did you find anything interesting in it?"

Sanji paused in washing off the fish steaks and chuckled. "Actually I did." He rinsed off his hands and reached into his pants pocket. "Here, catch." he called out while chucking something over his shoulder.

Zoro easily snapped up his left hand and caught the flying object. When he opened his hand he was surprised to find a simple gold ring with a single sapphire stone set into it. "This ring was in its stomach?" he questioned with a raised brow.

"Yep. Since you caught the fish it's rightfully yours." Sanji informed him while returning to his task.

It wasn't something that Zoro expected. _'Huh.. Normally he'd swoop off to Nami and make a big show of giving it to her...' _But Sanji had given it to him. Made a point to state that he had earned it. It was... Odd.

Ignoring that for the time being, he examined his new trinket. It was clearly a man's ring, so the greedy navigator would be more than likely to merely sell it the next chance she got. It was also very shiny. More than likely well polished from its time in the fish's stomach. Then, just out of curiosity, he tried the ring on the middle finger of his right hand. "Huh.. It fits..."

Sanji glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "Looks like Mr. Fishy brought it for ya..." His expression suddenly softened as a nostalgic glaze fell over his visible eye. "Back on the Baratie we had a legend that if we found anything in a fish we caught it was a sign of what our future would hold."

That intrigued Zoro. "So it's for the one who caught it? Not the one that cut it open?"

"Of course. It's not like a fortune cookie." Sanji pointed at the ring on Zoro's hand. "That fish brought it to you."

"Heh, now I feel a bit guilty for ramming a harpoon through its skull." Zoro mused, looking over the ring once more.

The cook gave a short laugh while getting a few different containers to divide up the fish steaks. "I'm sure you'll get over it."

Zoro smirked, but kept looking over the ring. "So what does the ring mean for my future?"

"Well, could mean a number of things. Since it's a circle, that usually means eternity. So whatever it is you'll be stuck with it forever."

"That's comforting." Zoro replied dryly. "Anything else?"

"It's a pretty pricey bit of jewelry, so that means it'll be something valuable. Either with money or something personal."

"That doesn't sound too bad." the swordsman admitted.

Sanji nodded and carted the full containers to the fridge. "The colors may be significant too." he added as he rearranged everything in the fridge to make room for the numerous containers.

The box was still perfectly balanced on the cook's head even as he moved, but Zoro was more focused on their conversation. "Anything you found lead to anything?"

Another laugh left Sanji as he stood straight and finally took the plastic box off of his head. "Several. The day before I met Zeff I caught a fish that had part of a peg leg in it." He took the box over to the table and sat it down as he continued. "At the Baratie I caught one that had a few coins and an orange jewel inside."

Zoro's eyes widened. "Nami..."

"Then there was the one that had part of a straw hat in it."

"Luffy..."

"And one that seemed to have eaten its weight in green kelp... But it also had the broken tip of a sword in it."

'_Me...'_ Zoro thought as a strange feeling crawled up his spine. "Hn.. Anything that pointed towards Usopp?"

"Not really..." Sanji paused and looked towards the ceiling in thought. "Unless you count the time half a chicken fell onto the floor.."

Zoro let out a bark of laughter and quickly nodded. "I certainly would. Longnose is about half a chicken. What about Chopper?"

"Medicine bottle with a pink cap." Sanji readily answered.

"Robin?"

"Although it's disturbing, I caught a black shark that had about six arms in it."

"Damn, that's creepy." Zoro muttered.

"Yeah, we chucked that one back in the ocean. Shitty old man was ranting about bad omens." Sanji mumbled more to himself as he thought back on that day.

"Think it might mean something bad is gonna happen with Robin?" Zoro asked with a frown.

Sanji was still for a long moment before he snorted and shook his head. "Nah. Zeff's a paranoid bastard. I'm sure it's nothing." he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

However Zoro wasn't buying that at all. _'You're lying.. You know it means something bad is gonna happen..' _He didn't speak out. He didn't want to stir up anything that could get back to the others.

"Alright, Marimo. Slap your arm up on the table and I'll get to work. You washed it up, right?" the cook asked as he opened up the box that turned out to be a first aid kit.

"Yeah. Used that soap you got by the faucet." Zoro answered as he placed his arm up on the table.

"Good, I won't use an antiseptic then." he muttered as he grabbed a crate for himself and pulled it closer.

Zoro was expecting a quick and rough patch up job with a lot of cursing and insults at being wounded by a shitty Usopp bird.

Instead he was watching in an apparent confusion as the cook's skilled hands took the utmost care in applying the healing salve and wrapping the bandages around his arm. The nimble fingers nearly hypnotized him as they gave every cut and scrape the same careful attention. _'Why the hell is he being so nice to me...? Is it really because I haven't swiped anything from his kitchen?'_

Figuring he really didn't have anything to lose, Zoro decided to ask. "Oi.. Why are you bein so nice to me?"

Sanji glanced up from where he was taping off a bandage near the swordsman's elbow. "Are you complainin?"

The question that met his own made Zoro's eye twitch slightly. "Not really... I wanna know if I should be or not."

A strange smirk curled Sanji's lips as he finished up his task. "An injured guard dog isn't very useful to me." he replied almost coyly.

His eye twitched a bit harder. "I thought you said I made a better footstool."

"You do." Sanji finally released the thick arm and sat straight on the crate. "However you're MY footstool. I don't like my stuff gettin scratched up."

Zoro's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you're just buffing out the scratches.."

The slim shoulders shrugged. "If that's how you wanna look at it." He fished out his pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket and busied himself with getting one lit. Purposely drawing out the silence that had settled between them.

The cook was toying with him. Zoro knew it, but he knew that he had to endure it. "You're annoying as hell..."

Taking a long drag, Sanji held the smoke in with a blissful smile for a few seconds before blowing out a smoke ring that encircled Zoro's face. "The feeling is mutual. Now, what would you like?"

The green head tilted curiously. "Like?"

Sanji nodded and casually crossed his legs. "You caught the fish. You get first dibs. What do you want?"

Zoro's eyes brightened and his mouth tingled at the thought of a fresh fish meal. "Thick fish steak with roasted potatoes..?"

The cook smiled and stood from his seat. "Coming right up."

That strange fluttering in his stomach returned as Zoro watched the cook begin pulling out various seasonings and sauces to start a marinade for the fish. It was a weird, almost creepy feeling that he had never experienced before. But the more it occurred, the more Zoro found himself liking it. _'Fuck.. What's wrong with me..? Why do I feel weird every time he smiles or does something nice for me..?'_

Although he couldn't answer, Zoro decided to simply relax and let the chef do as he pleased. _'It's kinda worth putting up with that psychotic rooster...' _He glanced down at his carefully bandaged arm and felt the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

There was no point in denying it.

He liked the attention.

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TBC

Aww...

Later~


	4. Behind the blonde curtain

_Author Note:_ Haha, I'm impatient. Here's the next chapter.

Enjoy~

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

Chapter 4

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

"Quit laughin at me... Fuckin bastards.."

From his place in the back of the galley where he slept, Zoro's eyes cracked open. _'Is he at it again...?'_

A slight groan echoed in the dark kitchen as the form perched on top of the kitchen table shifted restlessly. "It's not a legend... I'll prove it..."

A weary sigh left the swordsman as he lifted his head from the sack of potatoes he was using as a pillow. "Dammit..." he grumbled under his breath. He never recalled Sanji talking in his sleep in the boy's cabin, but for some reason the cook seemed unable to stop himself when he slept in the kitchen. Normally he simply ignored him and slept through it, but lately the blonde had been letting out noses that sounded like he was in pain.

After another choked groan, Zoro let out a deep breath and forced himself to his feet. The only light in the otherwise pitch black galley was from a small oil lamp that was burning low on a counter in the far corner. He moved straight for the lamp and adjusted the wick to get a little more light. Once he could see a bit better, he went to the table and looked carefully over the figure caught in a tangled mess of blankets.

Sanji was resting on his back with an arm slung over his eyes. His blanket was tangled around his bare legs, and the white t shirt he wore was riding up his torso. His flat washboard stomach was something that caught Zoro's eye. The cook always hid his body underneath the incredibly unnecessary suits. It made Zoro constantly forget just how well built the skinny cook really was. _'Does he really think it impresses women that much? Sure, they look nice, but they can't allow for much mobility...'_ One thought of all the acrobatics that the blonde pulled made him wonder how none of the suits ripped apart at the seams.

"Can't die here... Haven't found it yet..." Sanji mumbled in his sleep. Another groan escaped his parted lips as his breathing became faster. "Nothin... God forsaken rock... No one... Just that shitty old man... Gonna rot here... No one cares... Gonna die here... no one... No one's gonna remember me..."

The words were confusing until he remembered what Luffy had told him after he had been struck down by Mihawk at the Baratie. _'Luffy said he was stranded on a deserted island for over two months without food... Must have been brutal...' _The most he had ever gone without food was that stint he had to go through when he first met Luffy. _'But even then, that little girl snuck me food whenever she could...' _He wondered how he would have fared in the cook's place at that age, but he honestly didn't think he would have lasted.

The blonde seemed to have settled down, so Zoro was thinking of going back to sleep when Sanji suddenly shifted on the table. The arm he had slung over his eyes lowered and he turned his head to the right. The move made the blonde curtain over the left eye slightly out of place. Under the long bangs Zoro saw something dark on the pale skin. _'What's that...?'_ He leaned in closer and saw a mark of some kind on the skin that ran beneath the bangs.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Zoro found his hand reaching out to brush aside the blonde bangs. As his fingertips hovered barely an inch above the covered eye, a vice like grip clamped tightly around his wrist. The sudden move was startling, but then a blue eye snapped open before narrowing deeply

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Marimo?" Sanji grunted as he tightened his grip on the bandaged wrist.

Zoro was a bit stunned that the grip was actually quite painful. "You were talking in your sleep and groaning like you were hurt. Just makin sure you weren't sick before I had to get Chopper." he answered stoically.

Sanji kept his glare steady for a moment longer as if he was looking for anything that would confirm or deny the explanation. He seemed satisfied as he released his hold. "Didn't know you cared, meat head..." He sat up a bit and was soon holding his head lightly. "Fuck.. My head hurts..."

"Should I get Chopper?"

"Nah... It'll go away in a minute." Sanji forced himself to sit up straight and rubbed at his right eye. "So what did I say?"

"You told someone to quit laughing at you, then something about a god forsaken rock." Zoro wasn't going to mention the more emotional bits. That seemed like something a bit personal to discuss casually.

The words made Sanji stiffen for a second before he covered his face with his hands in exasperation. "Yeah.. Now I remember. Shit... I hate this..."

Hesitating for a moment, Zoro finally sat down on the bench and faced the blonde. "Do you need to talk about it?"

The sentiment wasn't expected, but Sanji shrugged and let his hands fall to his lap. "Nothing to really say. When I get stressed or angry I have dreams and flashbacks of being on that damn rock with Zeff... I dunno why... Guess that was my lowest point and my mind's tryin to tell me things could be worse..."

"Heh, after all the shit we've been through, you think that was your lowest point?" Zoro asked, just to stir a bit of life back into the cook.

However his plan backfired when Sanji slumped forward a bit in a defeated posture. "I'd rather face all those shitty weirdo's we've fought all at once with two broken legs than be back on that fuckin rock..." he muttered, fighting back a shiver.

The tension in the thin body made Zoro frown. "Was it really that bad?"

Sanji gave a sarcastic snort and fixed a bland stare on the swordsman. "You have no idea... And you never will."

Not liking the assumption, Zoro folded his arms over his chest. "Try me."

It was said in a defiant tone that simply rubbed Sanji the wrong way. "Try you? Alright, Mr. Badass. Picture being on a cliff with absolutely noting on it. No people, no animals, no plants, just rock. No way to climb down. No way to call for help. Everyone that ever knew you is dead. Face three months of slow starvation. Nothing to do but thinking that you're gonna die alone. Knowing that you're facing death and not one fuckin person will even miss you. That the second you die it'll be like you never even existed. Oh yeah, and you're a kid." he added bitterly while looking away.

Zoro was silent as he actually tried to picture it. Having absolutely nothing. Facing the possibility of simply being erased from the world without anyone so much as batting a eye. It was disturbing. "You're right. It can't get much lower than that... But at least you had Zeff."

Sanji shook his head and closed his eye. "I stole everything away from him... He was one of the greatest pirates.. And I took it all away from him."

"From what I understand, he trained you to take his place." Zoro pointed out with a frown.

That made Sanji give a weak chuckle as he lifted his head. "He did. It wasn't until I met Luffy that I understood what he had been doing all these years. Taught me everything he knew... Just because we have the same silly dream."

Again, Zoro watched as he lifted his left hand to his covered eye only to hesitate in making contact. "Oi.. Why do you do that?"

Sanji looked towards the swordsman in confusion. "Do what?"

Zoro pointed at the hidden part of the cook's face. "Stop yourself from touching your left eye? In fact, why do you always keep your hair covering it? I don't think I've ever seen your entire face." he pointed out. _'Maybe I'll finally get an answer...'_

The question made a look that was a cross between a smirk and a grimace form over Sanji's pale face. "Was wondering when someone would ask..." Without saying anything further, Sanji reached up and finally pulled aside the curtain of blonde hair.

When he finally saw, Zoro's eyes widened. "What the hell..?"

Around the blue eye was a faded circle of swirling blues tattooed onto the pale skin. Zoro had thought over a lot of possible things it could be, but he hadn't considered a tattoo at all. "You keep your hair like that to hide a tattoo?"

The smirk twitched wider as Sanji tucked his long bangs behind his ear. "That's right. It's part of an old myth that goes along with the story of the All Blue. A special symbol tattooed around a blue eye was supposed to give the owner of that eye the sight needed to guide themselves to All blue. I was a little kid when I heard it, so naturally I thought it was true." he admitted on a chuckle.

"So you had it done when you were little? I thought that was illegal most places." Zoro said with a raised brow.

Sanji hummed thoughtfully and swung his long legs over the edge of the table. "Only legitimate businesses hafta worry about that kinda thing. I let some guy's apprentice work on me on their kitchen table."

The images that filled Zoro's head wasn't pleasant. "You're lucky you didn't loose that eye..."

A wide grin tugged onto the cook's lips. "I know. But it's a good thing that I did it anyway."

"How so?"

Sanji pointed at the tattoo with his grin intact. "This is the only reason Zeff bothered to keep me around. He believes in this myth too. When he saw it on my face he figured it was like destiny or something. So he trained me as best he could so I'd be able to survive the journey."

"That can't be the only reason..." Zoro muttered.

The cook shrugged slightly. "Probably not, but it's the only reason I've ever gotten from him. Guess he probably thought of me as a son, despite him nearly killing me on a daily basis."

Zoro smirked and lightly kicked the blonde's bare foot. "You probably deserved it."

"Heh, more than likely." Sanji hopped off the table and made his way to the fridge. "Fuckin hell.. That damn dream always makes me hungry..." he grumbled as he retrieved the pan of potato fudge he had stashed away.

Knowing comfort food when he saw it, Zoro knew that the dream was rattling the cook more than he was saying. A subject change was in order. "So, hiding any more tattoos? A list of women's names on your ass?"

Sanji paused in popping another piece of fudge in his mouth and smirked coyly. "Are you asking to look at my ass?"

A sharp snort left Zoro. "You wish. Just can't picture you holding still for something like that."

The blonde reached up and traced the circle around his eye for a moment. "Actually.. I had heard that a good tebori artist lives on the next island... If I can find him I'm gonna get it redone."

"Tebori?" Zoro repeated with a raised brow. "Isn't that supposed to be really painful?"

"Oh yeah." Sanji chuckled. "That's how the myth goes. A tattoo done by hand. Supposedly the pain gives a person a different kind of clarity. I heard it can even get addictive."

"Hn, I can't see you covered in tattoos. I'm stunned enough you got one on your face." Zoro admitted. He couldn't stop himself from staring at the circle around the blue eye. "I understand why you keep it hidden. Probably gets annoying. People staring."

"I wouldn't know." Sanji pointed at the swordsman and smirked slyly. "You're the third person to ever see it."

That puzzled Zoro. "You mean you've always kept it hidden..?"

"Yep." He ate another piece of fudge and gave a humming sigh. "When I got it I had no intention of letting anyone else see it. It was my secret. A reminder that I did have something to live for. I didn't want to share it. It was mine. The only thing that couldn't be taken from me."

"Then why are you showing it to me?"

"Why not?" Sanji countered on a laugh. "We're on a ship full of people with crazy dreams. I'm helping you with your dream just as much as you're helping with mine. If I can't show you, who can I?"

"Any of the others." Zoro readily stated.

"Maybe someday, but you're the only one who has asked to see all of my face." A sly look fell over the cook's face as a thought struck him. "And since you know, I'll need your help once we reach the next island."

Instantly suspicious, Zoro gave a penetrating glare. "With what?"

"The way I want the my tattoo redone will take time. More than likely several hours since it's going to be tebori. I'll need someone to cover for me while I'm gone."

"Cover for you? How am I supposed to do that?" Zoro asked sarcastically.

Sanji grinned and pulled a folded piece of paper that was tacked to the fridge. "By doing all my shopping..." He let the paper unfold, and took great pleasure at the look of alarm on the moss head's face when the paper kept unfolding until it reached the floor. Showing line after line of the things he needed.

Nearly balking at the ridiculously long list, Zoro fixed a scowl on the cook. "You can't be serious.. You expect me to get everything on that stupid list?"

"Just the heavy shit. I don't trust you to pick out anything that has to be fresh. By the time you found your way back to dock it would probably all be rotten." Sanji teased jeeringly.

Zoro would have argued if the accusation hadn't been accurate. "Fine. I'll play pack mule, but I can't stall them for long. If Nami's in a hurry, she'll have Chopper hunt you down."

"I'm sure that after everything they've put me through the least they can do is give me all the time I need to do what I want." Sanji snorted. "I want my tattoo redone. Nothing's going to stop me. Not even Nami."

The swordsman's eyes widened slightly._ 'He just called her Nami... Not Nami-swan or any of those ridiculous petnames..' _"Huh... This is really important to you..."

The blonde readily nodded. "It is. Now can I count on you to help me or not?"

The question was asked with a serious glare. It clued Zoro in on how important this really was. "Do you still believe in that myth?" he asked instead of answering.

Sanji found himself tracing the symbol on his face again. "If believing in it gets me closer to All Blue. It's gotten me this far. No point in stopping now... I've actually been thinking seriously of having Robin-chan help me do some research. Really, she's the one who would give me the best chance of actually finding it." he mused now that he thought about it.

"Then why don't you?"

A strange bittersweet expression was on the pale face as he shook his head. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You and the others.... Your dreams are different from mine."

Zoro felt the urge to be annoyed, but instead of acting on it, he simply returned to glaring at his frustrating nakama. "Why do you have to be so damn vague and isolate yourself from everyone? Just spit it out. Why wouldn't I understand?" he asked on a faint growl.

He had noticed that Sanji isolated himself a lot from the others. But he did it in a way no one would pick up on unless they were looking hard. It was an emotional distance. He never shared private thoughts, or gave out information. He acted on his own constantly. Running off to carry out some elaborate plan when he noticed an opportunity that the others had all overlooked. Never telling anyone so he could limit casualties in case the worst was to happen. He knew Sanji didn't think anyone had noticed, but Zoro did. He did the first time when the cook stupidly offered to take responsibility for feeding the Krieg pirates back at the Baratie.

Sanji was the self sacrifice type. Those types usually died young. It left a bad taste in Zoro's mouth.

The truth that Sanji had intended on keeping hidden until his dying breath was being pried from him. He didn't like it. He didn't want to tell Zoro of all people. But that stony glare wasn't going to let him back out of it.

So giving a sigh of defeat, Sanji hoisted himself to sit on the counter and bowed his head. "You wouldn't understand because your dream is possible... Nami's world map. Luffy finding One Piece. Chopper becoming the best doctor. Robin discovering the true history. Hell, even Usopp becoming a great warrior. All of it is possible." His hand shook faintly as he placed it over his left eye. "I know in my heart that it's out there... But there's a possibility that I'm wrong. That I've wasted all this time chasing a fairy tale. That my only reason for living has been a lie." Sanji finally lifted his head, but he kept his hand over his eye. "I'm in no hurry to discover that my dream isn't possible... I'd rather die thinking that it's still out there somewhere than live knowing that it isn't."

The soft confession made Zoro's eyes grow wide and his throat tighten. Suddenly it all made sense. The reason why Sanji met things head on. Took stupid risks. Acted on his own. "You fucking bastard..."

Hardly expecting the insult, Sanji frowned and lowered his hand. "What the fuck is your problem? You ask for the truth, then you insult me? You started this, shithead. Don't bitch when you don't like the answers you get." he snorted, but he didn't raise his voice. He suddenly didn't have the energy for this confrontation, so he absently chewed on another piece of fudge instead.

When the cook didn't blow up Zoro knew that Sanji had nothing left to give at that moment. He laid it all out on the table. That bothered him more than he thought possible. "How the hell am I supposed to react? I finally figure you out, and I'm supposed to be happy?" he asked with a sneer.

Curled eyebrows furrowed deeply. "What the hell are you babbling about?"

Stiffly standing from the bench, Zoro crossed the distance between the table and the counter. He stood a few feet in front of the blonde and glared into the two blue eyes watching him. "All the stupid stunts you pull... Acting on half baked plans on your own... Always the first to jump in to save someone... You're willing to sacrifice yourself because you fear the truth about your dream. So you offer up yourself to protect the rest of us. You think our dreams are more tangible. More attainable. You're trying to give us every chance to get them. At the cost of your own."

Sanji watched and listened silently at the accusation that was slung at him. Instead of growling and blowing up in an all out denial, a soft smile appeared on the cook's face. "So what? If that's what I want to do, you can't stop me, Marimo."

Zoro nearly cringed. The bastard wasn't even going to deny it. Didn't even flinch. It was all true. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you care that little about yourself?"

"Ever stop to think that I care about the psychos I call nakama more?" Sanji shot back without hesitation. "So what if I die doing the heroic bit for one of you? You guys are strong. You'll move on. I'm the one that will fall to pieces if anything happened to any of you."

Of all the things the shit cook could have said in such a tranquil tone. Zoro wasn't sure to be worried, angry, or honored. "Dammit, I don't get it.. How can you be content with that? How can you think we would move on that easily?"

Sanji didn't answer. Instead he leaned over to reach for the cabinet that hid his cigarettes and matches. He was about to reach for a pack when a strong grip clamped over his wrist. Quirking up a curly brow, Sanji looked into the eyes that were staring at him with countless emotions. "Any answer I give is just going to piss you off more, Zoro. I've made up my mind about this. You can't change it."

Tightening his grip on the thin wrist, Zoro tried to keep the anger out of his voice. "If you ever try to sacrifice yourself for me, I will kick your ass..."

The threat made Sanji's smile grow. "Do what you gotta do, Zoro... But know that if it's between your life and mine.. I'm gonna choose yours."

That tightness in his throat returned stronger than ever. "Why? You think I'd fair any better if anything happened to you?" he hissed as his frustration steadily grew.

"I know you would."

Never in Zoro's life had he felt such a strong urge to hit someone. He felt the grip on the pale wrist wavering before he finally released Sanji's arm. He watched numbly as the cook returned to retrieving a cigarette and lighting it like nothing was amiss. A match was struck and briefly lit up the room before fresh smoke filled the air. Zoro was near his limits. "Did staying on that stupid rock fry your brain that much?"

A chuckle left the cook. It was soft. Wistful. "More than likely. It's logical from my standpoint. All of you have dreams that can affect the world. Mine is to simply confirm the fantasies of an old man and myself."

"But if you found it you could tell the world. Finding a place of legend would be epic." Zoro found himself insisting.

"But that's just it." Sanji took a long drag and let it out slowly. "I don't want to world to know. It would just be another territory for someone to conquer. It would be a sin for me to taint a natural wonder like that. I just want to see it."

Zoro thought the sentiment was very noble and selfless, but at the same time so incredibly stupid. "It's gonna be hard to do that if you're dead..."

Sanji hummed in amusement before he blew a ring of smoke that encircled the Swordsman's face. "That's where you come in... If I do get myself killed, I want you to find it and tell Zeff everything."

It was a serious request, but Zoro couldn't hold back the bark of laughter that left him. "You want me to find some legendary sea that no one has ever found? With my sense of direction? Are you completely stupid?"

The cook gave a wide grin. "Probably. I know your sense of direction sucks ass, but you always seem to be at the right place at the right time. Knowing you, you'd be at the helm steering the ship in circles and suddenly sail right through it. Lucky piece of shit you are."

The tone had Zoro snorting. "Hn, that sounded a bit jealous..."

"You wish. Are ya gonna help me or not?" Sanji asked again with a bland stare.

Growling in frustration, Zoro rubbed at his face as he tried to figure out what to do. Finally he let out a weary sigh and stared directly into the blue gaze locked on him. "Let me ask one last question..."

"I'm listening."

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Are you willing to die for my dream?"

"Yes." Sanji stated without any hesitation.

The fluttering returned on hearing the conviction in that simple word. Without really thinking of it, Zoro reached out and ran his finger around the circle branded onto the blonde's flesh. "What kind of nakama would I be if I wasn't willing to do the same for you?"

Sanji didn't pull away or snap at his most guarded secret being touch in such a way. He simply smirked. "That was more than one question, stupid Marimo."

The swordsman returned the smirk. "So it was."

For a long moment they silently looked at one another. Zoro's hand came to a stop cupping the side of the pale face. Sanji made no reaction to the tender gesture. The moment stretched on, and for a few seconds Zoro could have sworn the loud mouthed cook was actually leaning into his touch. The fluttering turned into a swirling vortex of confusion in the center of his gut. _'What the hell is happening here...? Why aren't we fighting? Why is he letting me touch him? Why am I even touching him?'_

"I'm still hungry. I'm gonna make some hash browns. You want anything?" Sanji suddenly asked rather casually.

Broken out of the daze he had fallen into, Zoro finally pulled away his hand. "Hash browns sound good. Do we have any ketchup?"

Sanji instantly looked insulted. "Ketchup? Ketchup_?_! That shit is the bane to my existence! Everyone insists on ruining a perfectly good meal by drowning it in that poor excuse for tomato sauce!" he ranted while waving his hands around for effect.

Zoro gave an unimpressed stare. "So.. We have some, right?"

"Far right cabinet. Top shelf."

"Thank you."

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

TBC

I likes ketchup.

Later~


	5. Right to him

_Author Note: _*blind sides the masses with a rapid completely impulsive update* Muahaha!

Enjoy~

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Chapter 5

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"Hey, Zoro! Have you seen Sanji?"

Placing the ridiculously long list he was entrusted with in his pants pocket, Zoro glanced up to see Nami approaching him. He had to resist the urge to glare at her. Of all the people that abused Sanji's trust and skill, Nami was the one that never showed any remorse. She strung him along like an attention starved puppy. He held her responsible for the tension that was in the cook's every moment as of late.

She was still nakama, but that didn't mean he had to like her all the time.

So he met her with a stoic stare. "He said he wanted to run a few errands on his own."

Her orange brows knitted together in a frown. "Is he still pissed at us?"

"Hn.." Zoro turned away from her and made his way to the gangplank. "If you have to ask, then that should answer your question." He took a little pleasure in hearing her huff out something and storming off across the deck.

At the dock Robin and Chopper were waiting for him. He had made arrangements with them to go out and take care of the shopping while Sanji had some time to himself. "Alright, so we get the dry goods first. Robin, you're in charge of the dry spices, and Chopper's covering the grain. Sanji said he would get any fresh goods tomorrow before we leave."

"Is Sanji okay...?" Chopper asked meekly. "He left out really early this morning.. He didn't even say goodbye to anyone.." he mumbled as he shifted from hoof to hoof.

In fact, when they reached the docks around 6 am that morning, the moment they stopped and tied off the mooring line Sanji had jumped off the deck railing and ran straight into the village before anyone could ask what he was doing. That was over three hours ago.

Zoro gave a slight smile to the little reindeer and patted the top of his pink hat. "He's fine. He just wanted to get an early start. There was a place here he wanted to find, so he was in a hurry. We only have two days."

"If he had told us we could have assisted in his search.." Robin pointed out quietly. His sudden departure seemed a bit odd to her as well. The breakfast the cook had left for them was hastily made. It was still fantastic, but it was obvious that Sanji was distracted the entire time he made it.

Part of Zoro wanted to be honest with his nakama, but he had made a promise to buy the blonde idiot some time. "He said something about it being something personal. Didn't want anyone tagging along this time." He moved past the concerned pair and started up the dock. "We're helping him more by taking care of this for him. Come on. Think of how stupidly happy he'll be when he sees all of his new supplies. He'll probably be drooling all over the place and swooning over Robin before drop kicking Luffy when he tries to eat half of it raw."

"So everything will be back to normal?" Chopper asked, not even bothering to hide his hopefulness.

"Heh.. Well, as normal as it gets for us." Zoro mused aloud. A thought suddenly occurred to him when he noticed something was missing. "Hey, I haven't seen that damn bird all morning... Or Usopp for that matter."

"Before we came into port Chef-san threaten Longnose-kun with a boot pinning his neck to the deck that if he saw or heard the rooster today that he would deep fry the both of them. Longnose-kun and the rooster are hiding in one of the store rooms, I believe." Robin answered, still recalling the look of terror on the marksman's face.

"I don't understand why Sanji hates Chibi Captain Usopp so much." Chopper said with a deep frown. "I don't think he's even seen him."

Robin's dark eyes flickered down to the few bandages that were on Zoro's arm. She thought back on the time that she had apologized for upsetting the chef, and suddenly she put the pieces together with a sly little smile. "I'm not sure, but I believe he said something about the rooster scratching up his favorite footstool..."

Zoro's eyes widened slightly as he choked on his own breath.

"Oh no! Zoro's choking! Somebody get a doctor!"

"You are the doctor, Doctor-san."

"Oh yeah! I'll save you, Zoro!"

_fjfjfjf_

"Dammit... I can't believe this. I was FOLLOWING Chopper! How the hell did I get lost this time_?_!"

Growling loudly to himself, Zoro didn't even notice the crowds of people that immediately parted as he walked down the busy downtown strip. It was getting close to dusk, and if he didn't find the way back to the docks soon, he was going to have to find somewhere to crash for the night and hope Chopper found him.

What really irritated him was that the day had gone so well. Robin, Chopper and himself had managed to get everything on the list they were sent for and arranged for half of it to be delivered straight to the dock the next morning. The rest Chopper and himself had been able to load up on a wagon that the reindeer offered to pull back to the ship.

The best part was that he hadn't see wide eye nor beak of that shitty bird. He actually got to enjoy a meal outside at a simple little bistro with his two companions. Was able to walk out into the sun without constantly looking over his shoulder for that fucking rooster. For once in over a week, he was able to enjoy a day outside of the galley.

'_And it's all thanks to that shitty cook..' _

Zoro slowed his rushed pace to a barely shuffling walk. Everything the past week had happened so fast. He couldn't believe the ground that he had covered in finally understanding the pervy love cook. And the fact that Sanji didn't hesitate to share the secret that his hair kept hidden. The fluttering he had felt when in close contact to Sanji now popped up whenever he saw anyone passing by with blonde hair.

It was concerning, but he was liking it the more it happened. He liked thinking about the constant arguments and sparring sessions they would have. The way they normally turned everything into a competition. The moment he said that he believed him when no one else would.

That surreal instant in the dead of night when he admitted that he would die for his dream.

'_I gave him the same vow... Not in the same words, but he understood. Why do I feel like there is something stirring between us..? Am I starting to like him?' _It seemed ridiculous. They fought constantly. But the psychotic chef was being so nice to him. Looking out for him. Taking care of him. _'Does that mean he already likes me?'_

They didn't hate each other. When they had to, they worked brilliantly together. They were the powerhouse that pushed them forward. Following their clinically insane captain and fighting with everything they had. Their somewhat working nakama relationship seemed to be doing fine.

'_But what if it was more..?'_

Vortex of confusion decided to settle in his gut once more. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. Or what he wanted. He liked being in Sanji's company the past couple of days despite the mouth the blonde had. He liked watching Sanji fight. The powerful kicks and inhuman agility were almost hypnotic, even though he pretended not to pay attention. In truth he made sure to observe every instant. Discreetly, of course. He'd never hear the end of it if he was caught staring.

Seriously, he liked generally everything about the irritating chef. Even the deviant mouth. He was even getting used to being called Marimo.

What he didn't like was how easily the blonde talked about dying. It was just wrong. And when he had said they could just move on without him because they were strong...

"That fuckin pissed me off... How the hell can he think like that? He's nakama. We'd all be devastated. The girls would never stop crying. Neither would Usopp. Copper would feel guilty for the rest of his life because he'd think it was his fault. Luffy would go ballistic. And I'd go right along with him."

He couldn't begin to think of what he would do if anything happened to the love cook. Who would he argue with? Who would he spar with? Who would cook for him? Who would watch his back? Who would he trust with his dream? Sure, the others were good for all of those things. Other than the cooking. None of them could cook worth a damn. After Sanji's cooking, he knew he was spoiled. Which was a good thing as far as he was concerned.

If he was going to be the best swordsman, he needed the best nutrition to keep him in top form. He needed the best cook.

He needed Sanji.

"I need that curly browed bastard in top form at all times. Doesn't matter what kind of relationship we have. He's nakama. I'm not gonna let that idiot play martyr. He's gonna live whether he likes it or not." Zoro stated firmly.

After nearly half an hour of rambling to himself, Zoro finally lifted his head. It was already past sunset, and stretched out in front of him were rows of taverns, brothels, and any other seedy place a little black heart could frolic in. "What the hell..? Where am I?" It only took a wink and a wave from one particularly ugly prostitute, that was more than likely a man, for him to realize he had wandered straight into the red light district.

"Well.. At least the taverns are a welcomed sight." he muttered as he passed the transvestite prostitute that now had a suspicious scabbard width dent in their head.

Deciding on that a quiet tavern would be a good place to spend the night until someone found him, Zoro moved down the dark street to look over the various signs. They all looked annoyingly similar. Run down, filthy and emitting noises that he'd rather not walk in on.

"What a hell hole... I just wanna quiet drink..." he muttered, trying to ignore a guy moving frantically over someone bent over a trash can.

As he passed another pitch black alley, he paused and back tracked when he saw a familiar sign painted on the wall of another building. "Sake... There we go." He looked down the alley where the arrow below the sign pointed. At the end he easily spotted a lit door way with more signs around it. Not bothering to look around the rest of the storefronts, Zoro headed straight for the end of the alley.

When he drew closer he saw a black bead curtain served as the door. He could see a bar and one person moving beyond the curtain, but other than that the place was empty. "Perfect...." he smirked before pushing his way past the bead curtain.

Behind the bar there was a tall muscular man that was covered with tattoos. His shirt was opened wide, showing off the highly detailed battle scene between two ancient samurai inked into his flesh. His bald head sported a red dragon that wrapped several times around his skull before the dragon's mouth looked as if it would swallow the man's right eye. When the man made no move other than a nod in greeting, Zoro instantly liked him.

Deciding that less talk was the way to go, Zoro reached into his pocket and placed a fist full of gold coins on the bar top. The barkeep nodded once more and readily pulled a large bottle of sake from a shelf behind the bar. He sat the bottle down and also produced a rather large ochoko instead of the normal sized one. In fact it looked more like a bowl than a cup. The sight caused Zoro's smirk to return wider than ever. He made the right choice.

Since the place seemed like a more traditional Japanese tavern, he waited for the barkeep to fill the ceramic ochoko for him. Once it was filled he nodded his head in thanks. He lifted the cup with one hand and took an experimental sip. His eyes widened slightly when it had a bit more kick than normal sake. He took a larger swallow and hummed in appreciation as it warmed him from the inside out.

'_So it's still a pretty good day. I'll hang out here and see if I can crash for the night.'_ Zoro thought while finishing off his drink.

As the barkeep poured him another, Zoro glanced around. There were several traditional calligraphy and brush paintings hanging along the walls in the relatively small place. All of them were hand made, and of very high quality. _'Odd for something that nice to be hanging inside a bar in the red light district... Wonder why this place is so quiet...' _He observed the barkeep from the corner of his eye. The man was quietly cleaning around the counter, but his presence screamed strength. He figured he probably served as a good bouncer to keep the place free of trouble.

His eyes were drawn towards a another set of bead curtains at the back of the tavern when a figure moved past on the other side. This normally wouldn't really keep his attention, but it drew his gaze to a jacket resting on a chair beside the doorway. A very familiar black suit jacket.

On seeing it Zoro's eyes narrowed. _'That's Sanji's.. I'd recognize those buttons anywhere...' _

He immediately looked to the barkeep and pointed to the jacket. "Oi, where's the guy that came in with that jacket?"

The barkeep glanced towards the jacket on the chair. A small smirk twitched onto his chapped lips as a deep chuckle left him. "That guy? Tall, thin as a rail, blonde, weird eyebrows. Got a mouth that could make paint peel."

Zoro's eyes narrowed as he nodded. "That's him. He's part of my crew. Where is he?"

The man made a vague gesture towards the bead curtain. "He came in about ten hours ago. He's a client of my grandfather's. A rather persistent one at that. My grandfather retired years ago, but that guy was able to talk him into it."

Raising a brow, Zoro glanced back at the bead curtain. "What does your grandfather do that my crewmate wanted?"

"My grandfather was once a world known tebori artist. He used to have a two year waiting list for clients. He retired about ten.. Twelve years ago." the barkeep answered as he continued cleaning.

He couldn't believe it. Zoro stared at the barkeep for a moment before glancing back at the jacket that was resting on the chair. _'Of all the places I could have wandered.. My feet take me right to him...'_ It was almost too coincidental. But the longer he thought of it, the more amused his expression became. _'He was right... I usually do end up at the right place at the right time...'_

His attention turned back to the barkeep as he pointed at the doorway. "Can I go back there?"

The man gave a slight shrug as he slung the rag he was using over his shoulder. "Sure, but I suggest you be very quiet. My grandfather should be about done with your crew mate by now. He doesn't like to be disturbed while he's working, so stay at a distance until he's finished." he instructed with a serious tone.

Zoro readily nodded in agreement as he stood from his seat. He walked to the back of the tavern and slipped past the bead curtain as silently as he could. On the other side he saw that he was standing in the middle of a long hallway. One side led to a dark room while the other led to a room with a bright flickering light on. He headed towards the light, and soon noticed the scent of jasmine incense smoke wafting from the room. In the door he stopped to take a quick glance over everything he could see. It seemed to be a traditional Japanese sitting room with tatami mats covering every inch. One look down at the threshold to the room showed Sanji's heavy black shoes resting at his own boot clad feet_. 'Wonder if that was an epic argument to get him to take them off..'_

His gaze lifted when he noticed movement at the far right of the room. On the floor with a section of the mats removed, was Sanji. He was flat on his back on what looked to be an old rug of some kind, but his face was hidden by the hunched figure of an old man sitting on his knees on the rug. He was dressed in a black kimono with a gray hakama, but around his waist was a blood red obi.

Zoro easily spotted the pile of gauze that was stained with blood and ink on the low table beside the old man. Also on the table were different needles and inks along with more gauze. Behind the two there was a table with several candles and incense burners. The stillness was almost tangible, but when Zoro tried he could hear the faint sound of metal being pushed into flesh repeatedly.

He was impressed at how the cook's body seemed so relaxed on the rug despite what was being done. Even his breathing was slow and even like he was asleep. _'I thought this was supposed to be painful.. And he's been at it for hours...'_

The old man paused in what he was doing and reached to the table for more gauze. The move allowed Zoro to get a brief look at the cook's face. A blood stained cloth was draped over Sanji's forhead. More than likely to keep his hair out of the way. When Zoro looked to the left side of the cook's face that was exposed he found himself biting back a slight growl. He couldn't see what was being done to the cook's eye, but he clearly saw the several lines of crimson that trailed over his cheek like tears. _'This is important to him...? He's too willing to spill his blood...' _

However he had no right to interfere. This was Sanji's private moment he was intruding on. So he stayed in the doorway and leaned against it as he watched and waited.

Minutes ticked by, and both blood and ink continued to spill from Sanji's face. The old man's hands were smudged with the red substance has he switched inks and needles. Still Sanji seemed completely at ease under the treatment.

'_He's crazy...' _Zoro finally concluded.

No sooner did he decide that, the old man placed down his tools and let out a deep breath. "Finished..." the gravelly voice stated, reaching for more gauze to wipe away the blood that still lingered.

Sanji's chest rose and fell with an almost blissful sigh. "Thank you, Ojiisan... May I see...?" His voice was softer. Sounding just as relaxed as his body seemed to be.

"Of course." The old man took a mirror from the table and handed it to the blonde.

There was a short silence, and Zoro wished he could see past the geezer to look at what had been done to the cook. _'Dammit.. I wanna see it...'_

A low hum that sounded almost like a purr echoed through the room as the mirror was handed back to the old man. "It's perfect... Better than I could dream of... Thank you.."

A short laugh left the old man as he placed the mirror back on the table. "This is your dream, boy... It does warm my heart that one so young is willing to keep to tradition. I trust that you will not forget this day. This is the last work that I will ever create."

"I swear. I'm honored that you allowed me to be your last canvas..." Sanji replied quietly.

"I am deeply honored as well. It is not often that I have created something for someone that embraced the full meaning behind it. I hope it guides you well." The old man's hands pulled the cloth from the blonde's forehead and sat it on the table. "I shall place a bandage on your eye. You should leave it on until tomorrow since some of the ink may bleed out. It will stop it from going into your eye. Have it cleaned well after you take the bandage off." The old man then flicked the blonde's ear hard. "You best take care of it, boy. I want that to last long after I'm gone."

Sanji let out a chuckle and nodded. "I promise, Ojiisan."

"Good. Now hold still a bit longer. After I'm done I fully expect that meal you promised me." the old man stated on a grunt as he placed a palm sized gauze pad over Sanji's eye.

"Heh, you'll get it. It'll be the best meal of your life, too. Just give me a minute to talk myself up, and I'll be making a hostile take over of your kitchen."

Another laugh left the old man as he taped the pad into place. "Take your time. It's meant to be a slow process. Reflect on your experience, and where it will take you from here." After wrapping a roll of gauze around the blonde head to further secure the gauze pad in place, the old man taped it off and finally stood from the rug. "I'll be in the kitchen making some tea. When you are ready you can join me. Do not rush yourself. Enjoy this moment of clarity."

"Yes, Ojiisan. Again... Thank you..." Sanji whispered.

The old man bent over and brushed the long bangs from the pale face. "You're more than welcome. Rest now."

After Sanji took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the old man stood. He immediately glanced back to Zoro waiting in the doorway, and the swordsman had a feeling the old man knew he was there the entire time. The ancient artist said nothing though as he proceeded to blow out the candles that were positioned around to light up his work area. Soon only a few candles were left burning and the old man was heading for the hall way.

Zoro watched him carefully as he approached, but the old man seemed to care less about his presence. The moment the old man moved past him into the hall he paused and spoke in a barely audible whisper. "Don't disturb him... This is his moment... This entire day will be worthless if you rip him from it too soon.." he muttered before continuing down the hall to the dark room at the other end.

As lights at the other end of the hall began flickering on, Zoro focused back on the figure laying on the floor. Now that he could finally see the cook's face he frowned when all he saw were the bandages covering his left eye._ 'Dammit.. I wanted to see... I wonder if he'll show me tomorrow...' _Whatever it was, Sanji seemed happy. _'No.. He looks like he's in bliss... I've never seen that smile on his face before...'_

It was the most peaceful he had ever seen the cook. His gaze seemed locked onto the shadows that flickered above on the ceiling. His chest was exposed from the way his pale green shirt was unbuttoned, showing a fine sheen of sweat on his lean torso. The light of the candles caught the drops of moisture and made the pale skin seem to almost sparkle and glow with every breath he took. With the way he was so calm and relaxed it was like he was in the midst of an after glow following the best lay of his life.

It confused the hell out of Zoro. _'I'm pretty sure I would not be that happy after getting needles shoved into my face for a few hours...' _He then recalled how the cook had said the process of tebori could become addictive._ 'Maybe that's what it really is... That prolonged repetitive pain... Probably has adrenaline pumping constantly through the entire time... And all that in a relaxed state... Huh.. He must be feeling pretty damn good.'_

He had never given thought to getting a tattoo. He really didn't see the point. Or at least he had never discovered anything so profound that he needed it branded on his body. That was the only reason that Zoro would consider getting one. Something that ripped to his core and drove his every waking moment. That was worth being branded for.

Sanji had a good reason. It was based on a myth, but the blonde believed in it. Zoro could tell from his place in the doorway that the shitty cook was more complete because of it. He was a step closer to his dream. It was like he was staring straight into that mystical sea from where he lay.

Zoro then realized that he was intruding on something. Something that was powerful enough to crack open everything that Sanji was. Perhaps even shape everything he would ever become. This was probably something that the cook spent years yearning for. Here he was staring like an idiot at something he had no right to see. _'I... Shouldn't be here...'_

Just as he decided to leave and find another place to crash, the blonde moved.

Slowly, Sanji inched himself to sit up. He seemed to sway a bit like he was overcome with fatigue. A pale trembling hand ran through the ruffled gold locks and a shuddering breath left him. "Heh.. Old man said it was a rush... Fuckin hell..." he grumbled to himself, leaning heavily on his left arm braced on the floor. He stayed still like that for a moment longer before a soft hum sounded in the quiet room. "Oddly enough.. It didn't hurt as much as the first time... Of course, being like about seven probably had something to do with it." He touched the bandages with his right hand and smirked. "I think.. Zeff would be proud... Finally did it the way it's supposed to be done..." He face suddenly grew somber as he let his hand fall to his lap. "Wonder if I'll get to show him someday.."

The way the blonde head suddenly hung low made Zoro feel as if the bottom of his stomach dropped to his feet. _'That bastard.. That fucking bastard.. He doesn't expect to make it back to East blue... Does WANT to die?_!_'_ he growled within his mind as he ground his teeth to keep from doing it out loud.

He hadn't realized that it was too late. A small grunt of anger had left him without him being aware of it, and it was loud enough in the silent room to have the blonde head instantly turning towards him.

The moment Sanji caught sight of the swordsman his visible blue eye widened. "Zoro..."

The hint of apprehension in his tone almost made Zoro wince. "I'm sorry.. I shouldn't be here.. I'll just.."

"No..." Sanji quickly got to his feet and moved towards the doorway. "You don't have to. I was just caught off guard. How the hell did you find me all the way out here?"

A slight cough left the swordsman as he tried not to stare directly at the bandages. "Well... I was following Chopper... And then.. I sort of.. Wasn't." he pieced together and braced himself for the ridicule.

Sanji's visible eye was blinking in confusion, but after a moment a wide shit eating grin was plastered onto his face. "You got lost? You got lost while following a talking blue nosed reindeer in a giant pink hat?"

A glare that was more of a frustrated pout formed on Zoro's face as he looked away. "When you say it like that it sounds ridiculous, fuckin bastard." he muttered while folding his arms over his chest.

"It is ridiculous, ya idiot." Sanji snickered while lightly poking the other man in the arm. "Only you could get lost while following something that fuckin noticeable."

Zoro lightly swatted the poking hand away from him. "Yeah yeah. No sense of direction, blah blah blah."

Still amused, Sanji snorted and folded his own arms over his chest. "But how did you end up here? It took me three hours to find this place."

"I was looking for the docks, but I somehow ended up in the middle of the filthiest redlight district I've ever seen in my life."

"Um... The docks are almost five miles away. In the opposite direction."

That information would have made him fidget in embarrassment if he was predisposed to such weaknesses. So he stuck to what he did best. "Hn, whatever..."

Despite how much the cook wanted to laugh at the other's misfortune, he managed to look annoyed. "That fuckin figures. It takes me three hours of non stop searching, and you just waltz right up to the damn door."

"Maybe you just suck." Zoro countered just to be snide.

"At least I know how to get back to the ship. If you wanna be fed I suggest you be nice ta me." Sanji scoffed while jabbing the broad chest hard.

Rubbing lightly at the now sore spot, Zoro raised a brow at the strange statement. "Fed..?"

The blonde head readily nodded. "It's part of the price I have to pay for the work Ojiisan did on me. Gonna make a traditional Japanese feast for him. Come on, I'll introduce you. He's pretty cool when he's not shoving needles in your skin." Sanji chuckled before grabbing the swordsman's hand and pulling him down the hall.

Zoro's first thought was to pull away, but he stopped himself. _'He.. Wants me here?'_ There had been no irritation in the cook's posture. No sign that his presence was unwanted.

His eyes focused on the pale hand gripping onto his own and the fluttering instantly came back. However it was stronger. Deeper. _'Fuck... He's gettin to me... Why is he gettin to me? We're just nakama.' _The grip on his hand tightened ever so slightly as they approached the other doorway. Sanji wasn't going to let him get out of this.

And as they entered what appeared to be a kitchen, Zoro found himself relaxing a bit. His presence in trade for excellent food and good company seemed like a decent deal. _'Perks for being a good guard dog.... Pack mule... Footstool..'_

"Oi, why you blushin, Marimo?"

"I'm not blushing!"

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

TBC

Blushy blushy Marimo~

Later~


	6. Zoro shaped pillow

Enjoy~

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

Chapter 6

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

The evening was filled with loud boisterous conversation, exquisite food, and drinks that never seemed to stop. The old man and his grandson were more than willing to trade tales of their adventures and the various deeds of debauchery with the two pirates. Hearty laughter and looks of amazement were usually followed by loud snorts and accusations of slinging epic BS. The old man even went as far as showing Zoro his decent blade collection that he had received as payment from various clients over the years.

All in all, Zoro had a good time, which just added to his remarkable good day.

It was well past midnight before they decided to call it a night. The old man graciously allowed them to crash in a spare room above the tavern until morning. The room was small, but it was large enough for the two bedrolls that had been set out on the floor.

A single lit candle on the table was all the light that they had as the door was closed. It made their shadows look larger and maybe menacing upon the empty walls. For some reason Zoro felt a strange sense of foreboding as the cook moved further into the room. He wasn't sure why. He had spent nearly every night for the past week held up along with the blonde.

'_Of course that was for the sake of my sanity.. I could leave if I wanted to...' _In truth he had come to look forward to the quiet nights of sleep in the galley. A sack of potatoes as a pillow, and a thin blanket tossed over him while Sanji used the table as a bed. This was different. More... Intimate..?

He was instantly glad of the darkness as he felt his cheeks grow a bit hotter. Of course he could easily blame the flush on the gallons of booze he was certain they consumed. Still, he kept his back to the candle light just to be safe.

"Damn.. That was a long ass day." Sanji said through a yawn as he chucked his suit jacket and vest under the table.

Zoro reluctantly pulled his swords from his waist and propped them against the wall close to one of the bedrolls. "Yeah.. Robin and Chopper probably have all the supplies we bought today loaded on the ship. There are a lot of things that are going to be delivered to the dock tomorrow."

Sanji hummed softly in approval. "That's good. I'll just pick up whatever I can on the way back tomorrow, then head out to do the rest after I get changed." he mused while popping open the buttons down his shirt.

Zoro tugged off his white shirt and glanced back at his nakama. Sanji was opening up the shutters of a window in the back of the room. He was curious why the blonde wanted the window open, but the answer came when a pack of cigarettes was fished out of his pants pocket.

A strike of a match later, Sanji was breathing in that smoke deeply and blowing it out the opened window. "So how was your day, Marimo?"

"Good." Zoro admitted. "It's been good. Not one sight or sound of that damn bird." He paused for a moment before he forced himself to continue. "Thanks... I know you told Usopp to keep it out of the way for today."

"Hm.. Can't have that shitty Usopp bird scratchin up my favorite footstool." Sanji chuckled. When he glanced over he was treated to the irritated blush on the swordsman's face. "Ya know... You're kinda cute when you're pissed." he teased with a grin.

Glaring daggers, Zoro threw his shirt down next to his bedroll. "You're drunk off your ass. Don't say weird shit like that to me."

"Pfft, you were the one wobbling in his chair. I'm surprised I didn't have to carry you up here." Sanji countered, his grin intact. He could clearly see the strange tension in the swordsman's stance. It was like he was nervous. "Something wrong?"

"Hm? No. Nothing." Zoro replied quickly. And mentally kicked himself when he noticed it was a bit too quickly. So he tried to change the subject. "Why did you take up smoking?" he asked abruptly. Again, too abruptly. _'God I'm pathetic...'_ he mentally groaned.

Sanji's visible brow rose high as his head tilted slightly. This was odd. Was Zoro actually jumpy? "Random question..." he commented, casually tapping the ashes out the window.

"Maybe.. But I still wanna know." And he did. It would only hurt the blonde in the long run. _'If he's as good as he is now, how would he be if he didn't smoke...' _Zoro honestly couldn't imagine.

It was an honest question, so Sanji decided to humor him. "I told Zeff it was because it's what adults did.. That I wanted to be grown up... But that was a weak ass lie. I'm pretty sure he never believed me." He took another deep drag and held it in for a moment before letting it out in a slow thin stream. "Truth is... It was a distraction... I kept having serious flashbacks from that damn rock, and from other shit when I was younger. I heard smoking calmed people down, so I thought I'd try it. It worked once I got used to it, so I just stuck with it."

He examined the glowing ember at the tip for a moment as he tried to put it into words. "I focus on the movements. The breathing. The feel of the smoke in my lungs. Clears my head." He finished off his cigarette and flicked it out the window into the alley below. His right eye closed as he concentrated on the warmth in his lungs before breathing out. "When I don't have them I'm paranoid and twitchy. Flash backs start up again, and I start climbing the walls to keep myself from thinking about old regrets and failures. My cooking tanks completely, and I start snapping at everyone. It's pretty scary. Zeff would close up everything if I ever ran out so I wouldn't murder any customers."

"Sounds like a formidable opponent.." Zoro mused with a smirk.

"Heh, I go fuckin bitch crazy. Trust me, you never wanna see that side of me. Merry would be ripped apart within a day." Sanji stated in all seriousness.

"Still might be funny to watch Usopp shit himself. You got any idea how hard it was for me not to crack up laughing when you threatened to cook him?" Just remembering it made Zoro's smirk twitch wider.

Sanji shook his head and leaned back against the window frame. "Doesn't really take much to accomplish that. Just sneeze really loud and he jumps three feet."

"True..." He trailed off for a moment when the brief conversation he had with their navigator popped into his head. "Are you still mad at him and the others?"

The cook snorted and folded his arms over his partially exposed chest. "I should be.. But anger can only get me so far. I'm getting tired of stressing over it. Despite the situation, I have a job to do, and it's going to get done whether I'm angry or not. I don't like to cook when I'm angry anyway. Makes everything taste bitter to me."

The surprise was evident on Zoro's face. "So you're letting it drop? Just like that?"

"Not much else I can do. They either learned their lesson, or they didn't. Either way I'm not letting anyone go hungry. I would like to think that they won't continue to take advantage of my station." Sanji added with a sarcastic lofty tone.

The frown that formed on Zoro's brow was accompanied by a strange sense of irritation. "That doesn't seem very fair to you."

"Eh... You get used to it. As long as my job gets done to my satisfaction that's really all that matters." the blonde concluded while absently fingering his matchbook.

Zoro's attention shifted to the pale hands. They were always immaculately kept, like the rest of Sanji. They were quick, strong, and treasured more than anything. They were also surprisingly smooth. The skin was thick in some places from holding knives and other kitchen utensils, but there were no rough callouses that he ever noticed. Those hands were confident. Never hesitating. Gentle. "Has the cut on your hand healed?" he found himself asking.

Perplexed by yet another random question, Sanji lifted his hand. The cut was now nothing more than a thin scratch that was nearly healed across his palm. "Just about. I've already informed everyone that fuckin bird is on my shit list."

"Hn, and how is your masterful plan to get rid of that bird coming along?" Zoro asked sarcastically.

Sanji snorted and gave a dismissive wave. "I've got it all figured out. You just be patient. We won't hafta deal with the shitty Usopp bird for much longer."

An expectant look fell over Zoro's face, but when the cook refused to elaborate he let out a growl of irritation. "Well? What is it?"

"And miss out on the look of total shock and awe on your ugly mug at the sight of my ingenious plan coming to fruition?" Sanji countered with a coy grin. "Never. I wanna see you shit yourself from how awesome it is."

The swordsman's left eye began twitching hard. "What the fuck ever. You're full of it. I bet you don't even have a plan."

"Bet?" Sanji echoed, his grin growing wider. "What sort of bet, Marimo?"

Fluttering turned into stabbing as his words were being turned against him so easily. _'Stupid stupid stupid..' _"Pfft, like you have anything I want." Zoro snorted in a weak attempt to switch topics again

However Sanji wasn't one to back down from any sort of gamble. "Don't be so thick, Moss head. My shit's too good for you anyway. We could bet something immaterial."

"Immaterial? Some sort of task?" _'More than likely public humiliation, the sadistic bastard.' _Zoro thought, and tried his best to hold onto that annoyance. It took his mind off the fluttering.

The blonde was silent for a moment before a sinister look fell over his pale features. "Yeah.. Something like that. Although there's no sense in you making any demands. I'm going to win anyway, so I'll just tell you what I want."

This was starting to piss Zoro off. Which was good. Being pissed was better than this morbid curiosity that was trying to trap him. "Fine, whatever. What the fuck do you want from me?"

Not answering as first, Sanji slowly sauntered across the short space between them. Zoro felt his throat going dry again the closer the cook was. He looked like a large grinning cat, intent on having a little fun with its next meal.

Sanji went way beyond personal boundaries, and was nearly nose to nose with the swordsman before he stopped. His visible eye stared directly into the dark awaiting eyes and saw the barest hints of wariness behind them. This made his smirk grow wider and he leaned in further.

Zoro's heart nearly stopped when it looked as if the cook was leaning in for a kiss, but his mind went numb when the blonde head moved to the side. However when he felt a hot breath on his ear just above his earrings he was certain he was going to die from asphyxiation since his lungs forgot how to function. _'What is he doing? Why am I not hitting him? Hm.. He smells nice......!' _

Easily taking note of the rigidness that settled into Zoro's shoulders, Sanji gave a breathy chuckle. "When I get rid of chicken little.... Your position as my footstool will become permanent. Any time I wish. Got that, Ma. Ri. Mo?" he purred into the faintly blushing ear.

The sultry way it was spoken stirred odd things inside of Zoro, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he felt a warm wet tongue trailing over the three piercings in his ear. Reflexively he pulled back, but had forgotten about the room's dimensions. His back instantly slammed into the brick wall behind him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He didn't have time to properly regain his breath when his blonde tormentor was already slinking forward with that same purposeful ease.

Stopping barely a foot in front of the cornered swordsman, Sanji hummed softly as his right hand reached out. "Never took you as the shy type... Kinda sweet..." he mumbled mainly to himself.

Zoro was close to swallowing his own tongue when that skilled hand trailed faintly over the long scar across his torso. His skin instantly rebelled against him as goose bumps rose to his flesh. "Y-you're drunk.." he tried to growl out. The moment he heard his own voice he felt like bashing his head back against the wall. _'Fuck fuck fuck! What the hell is he doing to me?_!_'_

Sanji merely smirked wider as he let his index finger trail down from the strong collarbone to the skin just above that ever present haramaki. He hooked his finger over the edge of the cloth and gave a playful tug as he leaned in again. This time their noses did touch tip to tip. "So are you..." he purred.

The next thing Zoro was aware of was the warmth that was brushing across his lips. _'This.. This can't be happening.. He's not acting like he usually does.. No hearts, no flowery words, no gooey fawning...'_

Sanji felt a pair of strong hands clamp over his shoulders before pushing him away roughly. He went along with the motion and easily took two steps back. A growl was all the warning he got before he dodged to the left when a fist plowed into the area where his head had been moments before.

Crouching back and slinking away towards the table, Sanji had a devilish smirk curling his lips. "What's wrong, Marimo? Don't tell me I stole your first kiss..." he teased on a low chuckle.

"Shut the hell up, you perverted bastard!" Zoro hissed sharply. He was sorely tempted to reach for his katana, but he kept reminding himself that he was guest inside another's home. After a deep breath to calm himself he placed a steady glare on the simpering cook. "What the fuck was that?"

"Aww, so it was your first kiss. I'm honored." Sanji snickered.

"You know damn well that it wasn't, you asshole!" Zoro snapped. "Why did you even do it? What about Nami and Robin?" Maybe mentioning the two women would snap him out of this lustful haze.

The visible blue eye showed a light of mischievousness. "What about them?" he countered slyly.

'_Fuck!'_ Zoro felt a faint panic begin to rise, but he had no idea why. "Oh, so you can't get your claws into them so you're trying to tackle me?" he asked with as much indignance as he could muster. He was already feeling uncomfortably warm in the small room.

That low chuckle lightly shook Sanji's slender form. "You don't remember things very well, Marimo." He casually perched himself on the corner of the table and pulled out another cigarette. He twirled it between his fingers for a moment before using the candle flame to light it.

Zoro watched Sanji's lips wrap around the filter and the red point of light that flared when he took a deep drag. "Clearing your head?"

The remark was meant to be snide, but Sanji still nodded. "Hm.. It's hard to think of how to put things into terms for a thick moss head. I'd hate to continue repeating myself.. Not when my time can be spent more wisely."

"Just tell me what you want from me, dammit." Zoro grunted, taking a faint step towards his swords.

Noticing the motion, Sanji smirked in amusement. "You."

The blunt answer almost made him stumble. "What do you mean 'you'?"

The blue eye rolled sarcastically before a pained groan left the blonde. "Ye gods, are you really that thick?" He heard another growl, but cut in before the on coming rant ensued. "Okay, pay attention. I... Want... YOU. Was that slow enough for you, kelp brain?"

At that moment, Zoro felt like his brain had turned into a pile of kelp. "You want.. Me?"

"I'm glad your hearing is still functioning."

Glaring at the sarcasm, Zoro ran his hands roughly through his hair. "What the fuck do you mean you want me? What brought this on?" he demanded.

"Does that really matter?" Sanji countered smoothly. "It's just a simple matter of yes or no."

"Then no." Zoro stated quickly. Again, too quickly.

It was clear that Sanji was finding the normally stoic swordsman's reactions amusing. "You didn't seem too upset about getting close to me back in the galley... Or are you just intimidated by having someone advance on you?" he jeered to provoke a reaction.

As predicted, a loud snort was ripped from the swordsman. "Like I would be the least bit intimidated by you. I remember what you said. You could have anyone you wanted, but you were the love em and leave em type. I have no desire to be used by the likes of you." Zoro shot back in a flat tone.

Sanji wasn't deterred. Instead his expression seemed to grow more amused. "What makes you think I would be using you?"

Zoro's dark eyes narrowed deeply in suspicion. "Are you saying you wouldn't? How am I supposed to believe that?"

In one smooth motion, Sanji pulled the curtain of hair from the left side of his face and tucked it behind his ear. "I would think it would be obvious. Of all the people on Merry, who did I tell about my eye? Who did I tell what my plans were for it? Who did I just invite to dinner on what should have been something private?" His expression softened into a gentle smile as he held out his hand expectantly. "Whose dream did I swear to give my life to?"

Those words made Zoro's heart pound painfully hard at an unmerciful pace. "Are.. Are you saying you wouldn't give your life for everyone else's dream..?"

"I would, but I've never spoken it to them. Only you. I've been honest with you. I've told you things I've never told anyone else. Why would I do that to someone I was merely going to use and toss away?" Sanji questioned, his hand still held out in offering.

Before he could stop himself, Zoro found himself taking a small step away from the wall. He instantly cursed himself for the action, but the blonde made no comment about it. The hand that he had admired just minutes ago was still held out to him. "Why me? If you can have anyone, why me?"

"Is it that important that you have a reason?"

"Yes."

A long sigh left Sanji as he lowered his hand. He took another drag from his cigarette in an attempt to get his thoughts in order. After a long silent moment he flicked what was left of his cigarette out the open window and let out the smokey breath that he had been holding. The smoke swirled around him before he lifted his head to lock his eye on his awaiting companion. "I have a list of reasons. Things that I've noticed ever since I've joined Luffy's crew. Things that have always caught my attention."

"Like what?" Zoro asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Well, first off, you're strong. But not just physically. You've got an iron clad will, and your morals are unshakable. And you're honest. You tell things like they are, and never let anything distract you from the truth." Sanji lowered his gaze to the three swords resting against the wall. "You're loyal... You fight hard to make sure we all make it through everything in one piece. I know you'd do everything you could if any of us were in danger." A soft little smile pulled over his pale lips as he continued. "You try to act like a badass, but, underneath all the growling and snapping, you're kind."

Zoro immediately let out a snort of laughter. "Kind? How drunk are you?"

"You can deny it all you want, Marimo." Sanji cooed playfully. "I've seen you doing little things for Chopper and Luffy when they're down. Hell, I've noticed a few times when you've humored Usopp by watching him use one of his shit brained inventions. Not to mention all the towns we've been to where I've seen you playing with any of the local kids. There's no point in denying it. You're a teddy bear when you want to be."

Feeling another blush heat his cheeks, Zoro looked away stubbornly. "Alright, I get it. Is that it?" In truth he couldn't believe how much the mouthy cook had already listed. _'And.. Here I thought he couldn't stand to look at me..'_

"Hardly." Moving the candle out of the way, Sanji sat back further onto the table so he could bring up his long legs and fold them into a lotus position. He then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees in a relaxed pose. His visible eye then slowly raked its way across every inch of the man's strong body. "You've got absolutely no class whatsoever. You dress like a slob. You could get lost walking on a fuckin straight line. You eat like a starved pig. Your manners aren't worth shit, and you're as thick as a seaking's skull."

The bland way it was said made Zoro pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I thought you were telling me what you liked about me." he pointed out in exasperation.

Sanji's grin returned. "I am." He laughed genuinely at the way the green head snapped up with a bewildered expression. "Yeah, all that shit irritates the hell out of me, but you wouldn't be you if you acted any other way. I know I can trust you. Count on you to be there when it matters. Plus you're pretty damn hot for a moss headed slob. I can overlook the misgivings since the good points tend to outweigh the bad."

Shock settled into Zoro's stance when he heard the honesty in the normally brazen voice. "Fuck.. You.. You're telling the truth.."

"Of course. I wouldn't lie about something like this." Sanji propped his chin on his fist and looked at the swordsman expectantly. "Now, would you like to see if anything could form out of this, or shall we blame it all on the booze and pretend none of this happened?"

Zoro's head tilted in obvious confusion, blinking a few times as he tried to force himself to speak. "You can do that? Ignore everything you've just told me and go back to how things were?"

The blonde head didn't hesitate to nod. "I can, and I will. I only give a person one chance at something more. I don't pour out my heart to someone who isn't interested."

"What about Nami?" Zoro knew he was using the woman's name like a shield in the offhand chance it would deflect the cook's advancements.

No dice. "Have you ever heard me talk to her about anything personal?" Sanji suddenly asked.

Now that Zoro thought about it, he knew that the cook hadn't. "No.. I guess not... But.."

"Nami doesn't know a damn thing about me." Sanji cut in to stop any further weak attempts to change the subject. "And I don't want her to either. She's Nakama. I like to flirt with her. That's it. That's all it'll ever be."

Zoro was running out of things to throw off the conversation. One look at the blue eye watching him told him that Sanji was becoming tired of the futile stalling. It wasn't like him to stall. So he decided to finally straighten this out. "Alright.. You want me. What all does that entail?"

Glad that they were finally addressing the matter at hand, Sanji gestured towards the swordsman. "Entirely up to you. Friends with benefits, casual romps, platonic companions, nonstop seedy sexfest, actual lovers. Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Would you still flirt?"

"Of course. I like playing, I told you that." He waited for the frown that formed on his companion's face before continuing. "However... No matter what I may do around others.. You'd be the one I would return to."

The fluttering turned into something Zoro guessed would be called the 'warm fuzzies'. It made him blush again, which annoyed the hell out of him. "Public or private?"

"I would say private at first. No sense in bringing in others when things aren't settled."

The sensible answer made Zoro relax slightly. He was relieved there weren't any fluffy pink hearts, or anything equally ridiculous. "And if I refuse?"

"Then we go back to the way things were before this started." Sanji readily replied. "I won't bring it up anymore, and we carry on like usual."

"You won't hate me for turning you down?"

"Hn, I'm not dramatic little school girl, Marimo." Sanji snorted, slightly insulted. "Sure, it'll be a blow to my ego, but I don't mourn over that sort of thing. You're either interested or you're not. I'll live. I'll move on. You don't have to spare my feelings."

"But would your feelings for me change?"

The blonde head shook slowly, the motion making the left side of his face throb faintly. "Nope. Despite how much we're constantly arguing, I've always liked you. Held you in a very high respect. That won't change."

For some reason that actually comforted Zoro. He didn't want them to resort to hating one another. At the end of the day they were still nakama. That's what truly mattered. Now that all of his immediate doubts were put to rest, Zoro heaved a tired sigh and rubbed lightly at the back of his neck. "Were you looking for anything specific?"

"Not really. A confidant, maybe. A pair of warm arms to go to when shit starts to pile up. Knowing that at the end of the day I still have someone waiting for me. I don't think that's too much to hope for." Sanji mused aloud in a wistful tone.

"Hope for..?" Damn that warm fuzzy feeling.

Sanji's slow smile made that fuzzy feeling grow. "Nothing wrong for wanting to dream of something a bit more tangible. So what's it going to be, Zoro?"

'_He.. He said my name..'_ For the entire exchange the cook hadn't uttered his proper name once. He actually liked the sound of his name as it rolled off the cook's tongue. "I.. Do I have time to.. Think about it..?" When the hell did he start acting bashful? He wanted to punch himself for how girly he was acting.

The out of character behavior only served to further amuse the cook. "Hm.. Sure, but don't take too long. I don't like to be left hanging."

"Right... Well.. What now?" Zoro asked a bit reluctantly.

"Now? I'm pretty tired. I'm hoping I'll be able to sleep without aggravating my eye."

His attention drawn back to the bandages, Zoro found himself moving forward. Barely a second passed before he was standing in front of the blonde on the table. He examined the bandages over the left eye and frown in concern. "It hurts?"

"Like a bitch." Sanji quipped with a grin.

The answer had the green head shaking. "You're insane. Purposely handicapping yourself like this."

"Says the guy that trains until his arms are going to fall off."

"That's different." The sarcastic look that earned him made a smirk twitch to his lips. "Okay, maybe not that different." Zoro let his thumb just barely run along the bottom edge of the bandages on the pale face. "Will you let me see it tomorrow?"

Sanji gently grasped the strong wrist and placed a tender kiss to the rough palm. "You'll be the first. I'm glad you found me, Zoro. I wanted to share this with you." he whispered, nuzzling the hand against his right cheek.

Warm fuzzy explosion. That's what was consuming Zoro from the inside out, and he liked it. It took him a moment to form a response. "I'm honored... I truly am.."

Smiling warmly, Sanji unfolded his legs and hopped off his perch. "Come on. Let's get some sleep. We have a lot of work to catch up on tomorrow before we set sail."

Before Zoro could reply the candle was blown out. The darkness that filled the room was followed by the sound of clothing rustling and moving against skin. Zoro watched quietly as Sanji's shadowed form pulled off the dress shirt and tossed it under the table. The black pants were then pushed down the long legs and pooled around the thin ankles.

He stared for a bit longer than was necessary at the graceful build that was now only clad in a pair of snug black boxers. He could admit that the cook was attractive. It was flattering that someone so charming and charismatic would be interested in a no class slob like himself. If not a bit suspicious.

He didn't doubt that the blonde was being honest, he just didn't understand it. The more he thought of it the bigger the headache he had grew. _'Eh.. Maybe it'll make more sense in the morning..' _he thought while stripping down to his shorts. He piled his own clothes next to his katana, and settled down on the thin bedroll. He glanced to the blonde who was already buried under the gray blanket and curled up on his right side.

"Night, Zoro." Sanji called out on a yawn.

"Hm.. Night, Sanji.." Zoro answered before pulling his own blanket around him. Sleep wouldn't come easy though. Not when he could still smell the chef's cologne. Not when he could watch the thin body move with every breath. Not when he knew he was only fooling himself into thinking he needed time to think about the offer. _'I'm making him wait for nothing... I know I'm interested... Why am I hesitating?'_

"Oi, Zoro?"

Shaken from his thoughts, Zoro focused on the blonde head. "Yeah?"

"It's chilly."

"Go shut the window then." Zoro shot back sarcastically.

"I'm too tired to get up. I was thinkin a Zoro shaped pillow would be more effective anyway." the cook added on a coy tone.

Rolling his eyes, Zoro reached over and grabbed hold of the other bed roll. Then with one smooth tug he pulled the bedroll and its occupant closer to him. The moment he was close enough, Zoro barely had time to think before he was dragged under the blanket with a bare back pressed against his chest.

When his left arm was taken hostage and pulled over the thin body, Zoro couldn't stop the bemused snort that left him. "Gee, that was subtle." he commented dryly, but still wrapped his arm around the blonde.

Sanji let out a purring sigh as he snuggled back into the solid warmth behind him. "I've come to the conclusion that subtle is a wasted effort on you. Now shut up. I wanna sleep." he mumbled, relaxing further into the man behind him.

Smirking, Zoro kept silent as he merely held the loud mouthed cook tighter. He had to admit he liked the way his thinner build fit against him.

Maybe it wouldn't be as hard to get to sleep as he thought.

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TBC

Later~


	7. Blind sided

_Author Note:_ Eh, what the hell. Yall are bein so nice to me. I'll go ahead and post the next chapter.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 7

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The early morning sun had yet to infiltrate the solitary window of the small room, but a single blue bird had decided to perch on the open sill. There it sat, contentedly warbling its morning song to whatever would listen. The shrill notes made the lax features of a certain swordsman twitch uneasily.

The longer the bird continued to sing, the more pronounced the twitch became. Soon it looked something akin to a sharp pain on every high pitched note. "Fuckin bird... Gonna chop off its head..." he mumbled sleepily before burying his face deeper into the strange silky strands that felt cool against his skin.

"Wrong bird."

The unexpected voice made Zoro frown faintly. Wrong bird? What could that possibly mean? In fact, who had even said it? His mind was still too deep within the clutches of sleep to really care about anything. He took a deep breath and gave a slight groan at the pleasing scent that came from the softness his face was pressed against. For a moment he could have sworn he heard a deep chuckle, but he ignored it when his pillow shook for some unknown reason.

"Fuckin pillows... Stop moving.." he grunted, tightening his grip around the unusually long and firm pillow pressed against him.

"Oi, I thought you were my pillow."

The random statement had Zoro scowling in annoyance. "How the fuck can I be a pillow's pillow?" he growled pointedly. He even wrapped his arms around the rebellious pillow as tight as he could and threw a leg over something that felt a bit too hard and pointed to be a pillow. "Shitty cheap hotel pillows..."

"Hey! I don't mind being called a pillow, but I am not cheap! Idiot Marimo..."

If the indignant words hadn't been enough to wake him, the teeth he felt sinking into his arm certainly did the trick. "Ow!" He jerked his arm away from the unpleasant sensation within the same instant his eyes snapped open. He was confused when all he could see was a curtain of corn silk. However that confusion quickly turned into a wide eyed shock when he noticed the bandage that was wrapped around a now very familiar head.

Now that he recognized the blonde head, it took him a moment longer to realize the very... Intimate position he was now in with the owner of said head. Rather, the fact that he was literally wrapped around a long and lean frame with what felt like nothing separating their equally bare skin. "What... The Fuck... Is going on..?" Zoro managed to get out before he went bitch crazy on the blonde he was nearly smothering anyway.

Another snickering laugh shook Sanji as he snuggled back into the slightly sweaty body behind him. "Nothing much. Just getting mauled by a giant Marimo leech that seems intent on eating me whole. I haven't even been seasoned properly." he teased, more than enjoying the awkward situation.

Zoro was instantly thrown off from his rising anger. The cook was liking this? Why were they even this close to one another? It was then that the familiar headache that followed a long night of drinking descended on his now alert mind. "Fuck..."

"No, we haven't gotten that far yet. Not for a lack of trying, mind you, but I am a gentleman." Sanji stated in his most dapper tone. He wished with a passion that he could see the idiot's face. "However you were grinding into me pretty hard at one point. Got my hopes up, you tease."

If Zoro's face were any hotter he was certain his head would have exploded into a fiery inferno of pure unadulterated humiliation. He simply couldn't process how he was even in this position, or why the perverted cook seemed to be enjoying it. What was worse was how could he really focus on his anger over the situation when HE was the one latched onto the simpering cook in a very compromising position? _'Okay... Just.. Just calm down.. There's gotta be a reasonable explanation...' _"What the hell happened last night..?" he finally asked as he tried his damnedest to devise a way to extricate himself from the cook without any further embarrassment.

The question only made the shit eating grin on Sanji's face grow that much wider. "You don't remember?" he questioned in as innocent a tone as he could manage. This was too rich.

"Would I be asking if I did, shit cook_?_!"

"Shh! Do you want to wake everyone in the building_?_!" Sanji quickly hissed. Even he didn't want Ojiisan to walk in on this.

Zoro instantly became quiet when he learned they were in an occupied building. It was bad enough when he humored being caught by the rest of their nakama, but being found by complete strangers in such a vulnerable state made his stomach lurch threateningly. "Shit..." He took a deep breath and held it to calm himself before he let it out as slowly as he could. The ache in his head lessened ever so slightly, so he tried to muck his way through the haze that followed any night of boozing. "Okay... I remember shopping with Robin and Chopper..."

"Yay, then you're not brain dead." came the sarcastic reply.

"Shut it!" Zoro hissed before jabbing his elbow into the narrow rib cage in his grasp. He took a little pleasure in the pained grunt it provoked. "Right.. Shopping... Got that done... Was following Chopper... Then.. Not following Chopper..."

"I still can't believe you got lost while following a fuckin reindeer.." the blonde muttered under his breath.

He was going to ignore the statement but it pulled forth a memory out of the fog in his mind. "I wound up in the redlight district... Found you..." His eyes widened as everything clicked back into place. The quiet bar. The old man that was hunched over the cook's prone form. The bandages. The lavish meal that was prepared and all the liquor that was consumed.

And finally... "Dammit.. I remember now..." Another growl rumbled in his chest as he glared at the back of the blonde head. "You bastard... You were perfectly content to let me have a heart attack over this."

Sanji turned his head enough to show off the evil smirk twisting his lips. "Yup."

A frustrated groan left Zoro, but instead of pulling away he buried his face back into the soft hair. "You're not making me very eager to agree to anything, you sadistic shit..."

A little hum left Sanji as he let his hands run over the arms still wrapped tight around him. "You must have decided to agree to something, Zoro-koi..." he teased on a playful purr before leaning his head down to kiss the bite he had inflicted earlier.

The heat in the swordsman's face abruptly turned from an angered humiliation to a hesitant embarrassment. "So you weren't just spouting out drunken shit last night..."

"Mm.. Meant every word.." Sanji took up one of the larger hands and placed a few soft kisses to the rough skin of the scarred palm. "I find it amusing that your head is taking its sweet time to catch up with your body." he mused while pressing back a bit firmer against the solid chest.

Zoro wanted to snap back a protest, but with the way his leg was slung so possessively over Sanji's bony hip he knew he'd only prove himself an even bigger ass than he already accomplished. "It's too fuckin early to deal with this..." he finally grumbled as he pulled his leg from its too comfortable resting place.

Already missing the warmth the limb had provided, Sanji figured he should have a bit more mercy. "Does that mean you wanna go back to sleep, or get started on the day?"

Quick to notice the absence of the teasing edge, Zoro seriously thought about the question. "Could probably sleep for a couple more hours... But we do have a lot of shit to do.."

"Well, you do what you feel like. I need to get up and take off these bandages to make sure my eye's lookin okay." Sanji stated while trying to get the meaty arms to release their death grip.

On mentioning of the tattoo, Zoro found himself wide awake. He resisted the tug on his arms only to wrap them back around the slender frame. "I believe you promised that I would be the first one to see it..." he reminded on a quieter voice.

Sanji let out another chuckle and followed the firm pull back against the swordsman's chest. "Glad you remembered, moss head. However that's not gonna happen if you keep me pinned here."

Zoro was fully aware of that, yet he kept his arms in place. His true desire to see what had been done to the cook's pale face caught back up with his now awake mind. He wanted to treat this carefully. Not rush to unveil something that held so much meaning.

This was Sanji's secret. His dream. He had to treat it with just as much reverence as he would his own. "Let me take off the bandages..." he found himself whispering into the pale ear.

The hot breath on his ear made a chill run through Sanji's spine. He hadn't expected Zoro to make any sort of move just yet, but he was pleasantly surprised. He hated being strung along by anyone he actually wanted, so this bode well for his own desires. "You can... But you better be gentle or I'm kicking your teeth out."

The threat had no force behind it, but Zoro felt compelled to reassure the bitchy cook all the same. "I'll be gentle..."

He tried not to be influenced by the softer tone in the deep voice, but Sanji knew that there was no point. He made his desires known. No point in hiding the reactions until the swordsman gave him reason to. "Ojiisan said there was a bathroom at the other end of the hall. I need to clean it up too, so let's go there."

Not bothering to answer, Zoro released his hold and forced his stiff muscles to move. Soon he was standing on the cold wooden floor and held out a hand to the blonde who was finally sitting up. Sanji had a sly look in his eye like he wanted to make some sort of coy remark, but he mercifully kept quiet as he took the offered hand.

Zoro pulled him up, but he hadn't expected the skilled hands that were gliding over his broad shoulders a second later. When they slid inward to his neck and trailed up to his sleep mussed hair he stayed still more out of bemusement than anything else. The cook seemed so at ease simply touching him and being close to him.

If anything, Zoro had expected a shit load of special rules and a petulant fight over who was the dominate one in their not quite resolved relationship. Instead the blonde seemed content with letting things flow as they would as long as no resistance was met. As tender kisses traveled from his chin along his jaw to the piercings in his ear, Zoro found himself more open to the sensations than he originally had planned.

His own hands were compelled to narrow hips when he felt the warm lips brush over a certain spot just behind his ear. "You're not playing fair..." he grunted, but made no move to stop it.

A deep chuckle left the blonde's throat as he moved in to speak into the still blushing ear. "Pirates don't play fair..." The coy statement was followed by tugging gently on one of the gold earrings with his teeth.

The gesture was more of a turn on than Zoro thought possible. He had no idea that his ear would be that sensitive, but Sanji kept hitting spots like he was reading a map. "Bastard... Come on..."

"I'd rather come in..."

The purred innuendo didn't escape him, but he used all of his self discipline to turn the blonde around and force him towards the door. "Stop distracting me, dammit..." Zoro growled, even though it lacked an edge.

Noticing the absence of any hostility, Sanji smirked triumphantly to himself. Zoro was his. It was just a matter of time before the meat head realized it.

Zoro made certain that they moved as silently as humanly possible through the hall. Sanji wasn't thrilled about the hand clamped over his mouth, but he endured it as they reached the door he pointed out. It was almost comical how quickly Zoro opened the door and ushered them in.

Much so that Sanji couldn't stop from laughing the moment the hand was away from his mouth. "What's wrong, Marimo? Afraid Ojiisan's gonna catch us sneaking around in our skivvies?"

Flicking on a light switch, Zoro tried to glare at the blonde, but his eyes were fixed on the few spots of blood that were on the bandages over the left eye. "Did I brush against your eye last night..?"

Confused by the sudden concern, Sanji glanced over to the medicine cabinet mirror above the sink and caught sight of what was bothering his companion. "That? Nah, you didn't. Tattoos do that when you first get them. Especially tebori. It'll be fine. Might be some scabbing and swelling."

"Scabbing?" Zoro repeated with a frown.

"Yeah, a tattoo hasta heal like any other skin abrasion. I'll need to get Chopper to make me some salve for it when we get back." Sanji opened the medicine cabinet and searched around in it for a moment. He found a small grooming kit and unzipped it to pull out the small pair of scissors that were inside. After closing the medicine cabinet Sanji perched himself on the edge of the sink and held out the scissors to the swordsman. "Ready when you are."

Zoro was already standing in front of the cook reaching for the scissors before he had time to take everything in. He allowed his fingers to linger against the pale ones when he took the grooming scissors a moment longer than necessary. They shared a silent glance, but Zoro was grateful when the blue eye mercifully closed.

Now that he wasn't being watched he felt his confidence slowly return. With steadfast hands, Zoro smoothly cut through the top layer of the bandages. He placed the small scissors into Sanji's hand before carefully unwrapping the strip of gauze from around the blonde head. Letting it fall to the ground, Zoro was left staring down at the lone gauze pad that separated him from the ink that would forever brand the pale flesh. His fingertips hesitated for a moment, hovering just inches from the tape that held the pad in place.

"Take it off, Zoro.." Sanji whispered, feeling the heat from the other man's hand against the tender skin.

Those words steeling his actions, Zoro paused to tuck the silky hair behind the cook's ear tenderly before gently peeling the tape loose on both sides. The fluttering in his gut returned with a vengeance as the last barrier was freed up. Holding both sides of the gauze pad in his hands, Zoro took a deep breath and held it as he carefully pulled it off the skin. There was a faint sticky sound as it was prized free from the eye, more than likely from the blood that was left over.

"Silly Marimo..." Sanji whispered. Before Zoro could comment, a warm grip settled over both of his wrists and tugged downward. Pulling the gauze pad the rest of the way off and finally revealing what it hid.

The sudden motion irritated him, but his breath hitched in his throat once the tattoo was revealed.

Countless shades of blue encircled the closed eye in a whirl pool that spun out into four white capped waves. The detail was exquisite and the colors were rich in spite of the red and raw looking flesh that was around it. The waves looked so lifelike on the pale skin that Zoro was expecting them to wash over the rest of the blonde's face at any moment.

Unable to stop himself, Zoro's hand carefully slipped onto the faintly stubbly jaw until his fingers brushed against the delicate ear. His thumb curved faintly around the edges of the slightly swollen skin in an almost soothing gesture. He couldn't take his eyes away from the vortex of blue. "Sanji..." Zoro whispered, completely entranced by the symbol in front of him.

A that moment the center of the whirlpool flickered open, revealing a crystal blue eye. "How does it look?" Sanji asked quietly.

The eye that now stared at him from the center of the whirlpool made Zoro's heart pound hard against his rib cage. "It... It's amazing..." It was so moving. Staring into that blue eye was literally staring into the soul of Sanji's dream. Zoro couldn't begin to describe how utterly humbling this moment was. _'And... He wanted me to be the first to see it...'_ The fluttering suddenly teamed up with the warm fuzzies and went into a full out rebellion in his chest. It was simply too much.

Sanji's lips curled into a smile at the awestruck expression on the normally stony man's face. "I'm glad you like it... Could you get me a wet cloth so I can start cleaning it?"

Zoro's gaze quickly shot to the towel rack next to the small tub in the room. He instantly spotted the white wash cloth that was resting atop the towel. He pulled away from the cook and took up the wash cloth. Instead of making Sanji move from the sink, Zoro turned on the cold water in the bathtub to soak the cloth. He gave the cloth a light squeeze to get rid of the excess water so it wouldn't drip when he brought it back to the sink.

Sanji's head was tilted slightly to the left as he watched the swordsman's body move. His smile was still in place as he observed every flex of muscle with each simple movement. He had always been fascinated by how much strength the man's body was capable of, but he was still capable of gentleness. He didn't get to see it often, but now that it was directed at him it made all the aggravation and headaches the kelp brained idiot put him through worth it.

When Zoro approached Sanji tried to take the cloth from him, but the pale hand was smacked away. "Tell me how to do it." he ordered gruffly.

This surprised Sanji, but his smile soon twitched wider. "Lightly dab... Don't rub."

Taking heed to the simple instructions, Zoro held the cook's chin steady with his left hand as his right commenced tenderly cleaning around the fresh ink. Sanji was almost startled by how careful the moss head really was. His skin was still sore, but the cloth never pressed too hard into the healing flesh. Just enough to clean away the blood and ink that seeped out over the night.

The cloth was steadily making the colors stand out even more as the coolness soothed the surrounding skin. Zoro took the utmost care to every inch of the tattoo. Silently examining every detail to lock away into his memory.

After today the symbol would be hidden beneath that curtain of hair once more. _'There may not be another chance to see it again...'_ His thoughts drifted back to the confessions that had been made in the darkness of the cook's beloved kitchen.

The idiot cook probably didn't expect to live long. There was just an air of acceptance around him that had never settled right with Zoro. _'Perhaps that's why he's doing this... Maybe he thinks that our travels will only become more treacherous... More risky... He wants to have what he can now...'_ "No regrets...?" he asked out loud.

The question was sudden, but Sanji still seemed ready for it. His left hand traced the scar across the swordsman's torso like he had the night before until it settled just above the waistband to the dark red boxers Zoro wore. "None..."

Zoro cleaned a smudge of dried blood off the temple and kept his eyes focused on his task as he spoke. "You made a promise to that old man... That his last creation would be around long after he was gone."

"I promised to take care of it." Sanji corrected lightly. He knew where this was heading. He wasn't going to stop it, but he seriously hoped it wouldn't ruin everything that had been built between them.

"You can't take care of it if you happen to be dead..." Never one for subtle, Zoro decided to address it quickly so they knew where they stood. "Why don't you expect to make it back to the East Blue?"

The blonde noticed that the dark eyes weren't focused on his. He could almost sense the tension that was hidden beneath the calm motions. "Is that really important?"

"If you expect me to consent to anything between us." Zoro readily grunted, but his touch was still delicate on the wounded skin. "I don't like the thought of getting involved with someone that could so easily throw their life away."

It was a valid point. _'And I've come this far...' _Sanji closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He was craving a cigarette, but he forced himself to plow through. "I don't want to be in a situation like that rock again."

Zoro paused to examine the faint crease in the pale brow. "What do you mean?"

Sanji slumped forward a bit as the confession made its way past his lips. "I don't want to wait for death again... To watch it just staring back at me. Taunting me. Making me suffer through another day." His hands gripped tightly at the edges of the sink as he recalled the slow torture again. "It does things to you... It makes your thoughts twisted. It changes who you are. Makes you desperate... Turns you into a monster."

"A monster? I don't understand..."

The blue eyes snapped open and focused on the swordsman. "I snapped at one point on that rock. I spent a week devising different plans to kill Zeff and take whatever he had left. The idea was so warped inside my mind I was even thinking of torturing him for leaving me alone. For saving me. For still being alive. The man that fuckin SAVED me. I wanted him in pain more than anything." Sanji tore his gaze away and stared angrily at the baseboards. "I was willing to use a kitchen knife to spill another man's blood. I wanted to. I can still remember how steady my hands were when I finally snuck up behind him."

The way the eyes suddenly dilated and his posture wound as tight as a spring, Zoro knew that this had seriously left a deep scar on the cook's mind. He let the cloth drop to the floor with the soiled bandages and carefully placed his hands on the rigid shoulders. "But you didn't..."

"Hn.. Only because I was shocked back to my senses when I discovered what he had done." Sanji shook his head before he bowed it in shame. "That slow wait drove me to that when I was just a kid. Now... Now I can't even stomach the thought of what would happen if it were to happen again... Now that I have people that I care about... "

"Do you really think your will is that weak now?" Zoro challenged lightly, gripping a bit tighter to the pale skin.

A weak laugh left the blonde as he placed his hands on the strong arms. "Everyone has a breaking point, Zoro. Physical and Mental. Physical I can deal with.. Mental is more complicated. I've already been broken once. That sort of thing leaves behind cracks. Weaknesses that can be exploited." Sanji finally lifted his head up once more as that fatalistic smile returned to his features. "I want it to be quick. I want it to happen while I'm doing something I believe in. Die with my boots on... Not alone slowly going insane while no one gave a damn."

The hands on Sanji's shoulders shot up to hold firm to the sides of his face. A low growl was heard from Zoro as he glared into the startled blue eyes. "I give a damn!"

The snarled words coupled with the heated scowl stunned Sanji for a moment. It was the purest emotional response he had ever provoked from the man. Nothing was hidden. Everything that Zoro felt was laid bare for Sanji to see. It frightened him, yet thrilled him at the same time. In the end, it only strengthened his decision.

His hands clutched at the swordsman's arms as he leaned in closer. "I'll always choose you..." he whispered, echoing his statement from their late night talk in the galley.

Anger was still tinging the majority of his thoughts, but the quiet vow cut through him better than any of his blades ever could. That kind of devotion... That kind of love? It was something Zoro knew he couldn't treat carelessly. In fact, it was something he knew he should treasure. Just like the unprecedented amount of trust the blonde obviously had in him. Confessing such secrets and sharing such personal moments.

He glared a moment longer at the unwavering gaze before his hands slowly shifted to thread his fingers into the silky hair. "I will beat you senseless if you ever dare..." he threatened once more.

Sanji's lips curled into another smirk as his long legs wrapped around the rock solid waist and pulled the swordsman closer. "Bring it, Marimo." he teased before deciding to go for broke.

He closed the remaining distance between them and swiftly claimed Zoro's lips in a kiss. He had expected some resistance, but to his shocking pleasure, Zoro readily returned the gesture in kind. Lips soon parted and tongues squared off in a ruthless battle. Teeth clacked together a few times as the passion steadily rose. Moans were muffled and hands explored feverishly as the new territory became available.

Zoro's anger soon gave him an edge in the movements, causing Sanji to whimper as he finally surrendered to both the kiss and the touches. He knew that the moss head would be fierce, but he hadn't expected so soon. He was still somewhat emotionally drained after the past week, so the passion that he was being subjected to was quickly overwhelming him. Soon his head was spinning, leaving him only able to hang on. He wrapped himself around the broader frame, reversing their roles from when they woke, and held on tight.

Nails scratched down his back and made Zoro hiss against the faintly bruising lips. He could taste lingering smoke on Sanji's tongue, but he there was something spicy that he couldn't describe. It made his own mouth tingle, and he took several attempts to taste more of it.

All of the reservations he had about taking the cook's offer seemed to have melted away. While he still wasn't certain where to take it, he was more than willing to indulge in this one moment. One moment when he was locked in the embrace of someone that stood as his equal in more ways than he could fathom. A moment where he could loosen the death grip on his control in the company of someone he trusted.

Neither wanted to pull away, but they both had to calm the angry demands of their burning lungs. Their breaths came in harsh gasps when they finally parted. Lips still barely touching as they shared every inhale and exhale.

Zoro's left hand loosened from the tight hold he had on a fist full of the blonde hair and moved to the heated cheek. "Sanji... I don't have a clue about any of this... But I know I want something... Can you bear with me until I decide..?" he asked between his heavy breaths.

"Yes..." Sanji hissed out slowly. "I can... Just.. Don't keep me at a distance... I still want to argue.. I still want to fight with you.. I just..."

"I know... I feel the same..." Zoro whispered, placing a tender kiss just below the tattoo around the left eye. Now that an understanding was reached, Zoro wrapped his arms around the smaller frame and held on tight.

The moment Sanji returned the embrace he saw what the cook was getting at the night before. _'A warm pair of arms to go to...' _The thought of having someone to hold on to. Someone to keep him grounded when everything was falling apart. Knowing that someone was waiting for him at the end of it all.

They stayed locked in one another's arms for a few more moments. Listening to the other breathe and feeling their chests move with the action. The way the smooth hands ran along his back relaxed Zoro even further into the potential of this situation. But they had many things left to do. "What are you going to do today?" he asked quietly while absently counting each vertebra down the curve of the pale back with his fingers.

Sanji nuzzled the corner of Zoro's jaw and nipped at his ear before he answered. "After I wash up a bit I'm gonna get dressed and fix breakfast for Ojiisan before I leave." He pulled away and poked the center of the swordsman's forehead hard and grinned. "Then we're gonna head back into town and you're gonna play pack mule for me again."

Zoro's eyes crossed slightly to look up at the hand poking him. "Oh I am, huh?"

"Yup. But just on the way back to the docks. Then I'm leaving you there so you don't get lost again." Zoro looked as if he was about argue with that, but Sanji smoothly cut him off. "Then while you're loading up everything we got, I'm gonna go shopping for fresh produce and hit the meat market. I'll have Chopper help me there." Sanji smirked and gave a playful lick to the tip of his potential lover's nose. "If you do a good job, I'll take you to the forest to the north. Ojiisan said there was a good hunting trail up there, so you can catch us something fresh."

A green brow lofted high. "How is that supposed to be a reward? I'm doing all the work." it pointed out flatly.

The blonde chuckled and leaned back a bit. "The reward is that you catch it, I cook it. Whatever you want."

"Ah... That may be worth it." Zoro thought aloud.

"May be?" Sanji huffed. He dealt a light kick to the small of the swordsman's back with his heel. "Watch it asshole. I've been making a lot of extra effort with your meals lately. Stuff I do for you would cost several grand at a high end restaurant." he informed the moss head on a growl.

Zoro smirked slightly at the annoyance in the other's eyes. "You have, huh? Haven't really noticed. Tastes all the same to me."

Sanji knew that he was being baited, but he pounced right on it anyway. "Tastes the same_?_! This coming from a guy who has the taste pallet of a fuckin goat! Chopper oughtta examine your tongue!" An evil expression fell over the tattooed face as a thought struck him. "Or maybe I should cleanse it personally..."

"Huh? What are you talking ab-Mmph!" Zoro was cut off abruptly when a mouth clamped over his own.

Any thoughts of pulling away were shot when a strong pair of hands fisted in his short hair and held on tight. Before he could think of how to react his mouth was being plundered, and his tongue was taken hostage. Sharp teeth nipped and tugged on it, but when he felt the light suction on it he felt his knees go a bit weak. He felt Sanji's tongue swirling around the tip and lavishing it with attention all while suckling on it gently. With every motion Zoro's imagination flew that much further into the gutter with all the possible uses of such a talented mouth. _'Shit.. Shit shit shit..' _was all he could think as he steadily became turned on.

Sanji could already notice the affects his actions were causing from the faint quiver in the large hands that were gripping tight on his arms. Just knowing that he could do such a thing to the stone wall that was Roronoa Zoro was enough to give him a bit of a rush. _'If I had known a good kiss could send him crumbling I woulda tried this a long time ago..' _Now that he did, that knowledge was safely tucked away to be exploited at a later date.

Soon Zoro couldn't take any more and pulled away from the wicked mouth. A ragged gasp sent him staggering back, but the strong legs around his waist kept him in place. His eyes blinked in a daze for several moments until he could string his thoughts back together.

The moment he could use his brain again, he glared at the too smug expression plastered on the cook's face. "That.. That was evil."

Grinning wide, Sanji let his hands slip from the green locks down to the strong neck. "Were you expecting sweet and innocent from me? Really.. I would think you'd know me better than that by now, Marimo..." His fingers played with the three dangling earrings. He had always enjoying the soft clinking noise they made, and Zoro seemed to enjoy any attention given to them. "Hm.. Just wait... You thought I was perverted before... Just wait until you see my special cook book.."

For some reason Zoro's throat was suddenly very dry. He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak normally. "Special cook book?"

"Mmmhmm..." Sanji purred as he dove in for another quick kiss. "I like to experiment with food... I've written down everything that I found worked exceptionally well..." His lips were back on Zoro's ear, nibbling and caressing with teeth and tongue. "If you decide you wanna go that far, I'll let you read it... And if you're really good I'll let you pick what you'd like to try..."

The mouth on his ear combined with the heated words was putting an epic strain on Zoro's control. What was worse was the fact the mirror behind the blonde gave him a good view of how much his left eye was twitching. The mirror also gave him a view of what he looked like with Sanji all over him. Their contrasting skin tones and hair colors were intriguing, but he enjoyed the way the lean body looked draped over him. Being able to see the perfect hands caressing his skin from a different perspective. "Any of those recipes involve mirrors..?" he found himself asking.

Sanji paused at the strange question, but he remembered the mirror behind him. A glance back showed him the look of interest in the swordsman's reflection. That interest instantly had Sanji grinning once more. "Can't say that they do, but I'm all for adding a little variety.." He returned to the kiss swollen ear and gave a breathy chuckle. "Now what dirty thoughts are running through your head, Marimo?"

Zoro saw his own eye twitching in the mirror again, but instead of getting embarrassed he decided to stoop to the cook's level. He pushed the legs down from his waist and pulled the blonde off his perch on the sink. He ignored the sounds of protest and spun the cook around until he was facing the mirror. Zoro then pressed his chest against the pale back and immediately had his hands wandering all over the lean body. "I'm sure you can figure out what I'm thinking, love cook..." he muttered before letting his mouth descend on the long neck.

Gasping when teeth suddenly scraped and bit at his skin, Sanji stared wide eyed at the reflection in front of him. To see the swordsman touching and kissing him along with his new tattoo made a groan rumble in his throat. "Fuck... You.. You better be careful if you.. You don't want me to.. Oh right there.. Take.. Take things too far..." he grunted out in warning.

Enjoying the stammered words, Zoro's response was to bite down firmly on the left side of Sanji's neck. The hissing moan it provoked encouraged him to continue. He licked at the flesh in his mouth and sucked just hard enough to mark the cream colored skin. All the while he heard growled curses, but no hints that the blonde disapproved.

His lips lingered for a moment longer then pulled away. The angry red mark left behind made him smile, and his eyes looked towards the mirror to see the blonde's reaction. He saw Sanji breathing a bit faster, but there was a smirk on his lips. Combined with the pink hue that dusted his cheeks, Zoro found his attraction to the cook nearly double in that moment. "Hm... I take it you like watching too.." he mumbled, placing a few kisses around the mark he made.

Sanji hummed deeply and let his eyes slip shut. "Maybe... You're acting rather confident for someone that still needs time to decide.." he pointed out coyly, but made no move to pull away from the arms around him.

"Heh... I'm testing the waters before I jump in..." Zoro carefully nuzzled the blonde's left cheek just under the tattoo. "You're very responsive... I like it..." he admitted quietly.

"Mmm.. I'm holdin back quite a bit... Don't wanna push you..."

"Figured you were... I appreciate that.."

Sanji opened his eyes and focused on the face against his own. "As much as I would love to continue, I need to get cleaned up so I can start on breakfast."

The green head nodded and slowly pulled away. Zoro missed the warmth the moment he stepped back, but he ignored it as he moved to the door. "I'm gonna get dressed."

"Let me know if you need any help~!" Sanji cooed before snickering at the glare he instantly received. "Go on. I'll be quick."

Rolling his eyes, Zoro quietly left the bathroom. The moment he closed the door behind him he covered his eyes with his hands and took a deep breath. When he had sought sanctuary in the galley almost a week ago, he had no intention for things to spiral so out of control.

He was confused. Excited. Maybe even nervous. _'It's too sudden... But I don't want to back away... I have to really think about this.. I can't let myself get carried away... But he feels too damn good...'_

It was almost disturbing. The cook was good. He was charming, coy, and seductive in all the right ways. He honestly thought that what he showed to the women around him was the depth of his romancing skills. Now he was getting a full course of teasing with a side of skilled touches that made him feel like he was going to melt. "Little bastard blind sided me..."

A deep sigh left him as he shook his head. He was caught. That's all there was to it. Now all he could do was try to figure out what his own feelings were. Which would probably be the most annoying thing of all._ 'I need time to think away from him.. I've been too close to him.' _he concluded as his feet carried him to the room their clothes were in.

On entering the room he saw that the sun had risen higher, bathing the entire space in a golden hue. He was about to move straight for his clothes and tug them back on, but the light pouring through the window seemed to focus intensely on the pale green shirt that rested on the table. The sunlight made the shirt seem to glow unnaturally, and Zoro found himself soon picking it up. His fingers fisted in the soft fabric. Sanji's cologne and smoke tickled his nose, making him bring the shirt up to his face and inhaling the scent deeply before he could stop himself.

It took him a few seconds to really notice what he was doing. The moment he did, a frustrated growl left him. "Fuck... It's worse than I thought... I'm falling for the bastard..."

He felt like banging his head against the table a few times to knock himself back to his senses. The problem was that he actually liked the feeling. He liked the thought of Sanji being there for him. His skin was still tingling from every touch the blonde gave him. His head rang with every offer and promise those pale lips spoke. It was a perfect storm. He was caught in it dead center.

"But he gave me the time to figure this out... I'm gonna take it..." He forced himself to put the shirt back on the table and turn away from it.

He was going to think this through seriously.

"Sanji deserves nothing but honesty..."

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TBC

haha, gooey Zoro

Later~


	8. Gold and blue

_Author Note: _I hope you've enjoyed my first venture into the One Piece fandom. Thank you for reading.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 8

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Playing pack mule was usually a grueling and highly frustrating experience. Now that things had change between him and the spastic cook...

"Oi! What the fuck are you doing_?_! I just bought that apron! You're gonna ruin it lettin it drag the ground, dumb ass!"

Zoro could easily say that it was exactly the same. "Back off, shit cook! I'm already carting these fuckin heavy crates for you! Carry your own damn apron!" he growled while trying to get a better hold on the three crates that he was attempting to manage blindly. "Dammit, I cant see where I'm going!"

"You don't need to see where you're going." Sanji called out from where he was walking behind the swordsman. "I've got your shitty direction down. You get lost every time you follow someone. If ya can't see, then you need me to tell you where to go. This way I can make sure you don't wander off."

He would have argued if it didn't make sense. Still, Zoro wasn't one to back down. "What the fuck ever. How much shit am I going to have to lug around for you? And why the hell are you not carrying anything?" He nearly had to strain his neck to look back at the smug blonde walking behind him. "I know you're a little chicken shit wuss, but you can at least carry some of your own fuckin shopping."

Sanji was silent for a moment while he lit up a cigarette, but once it was lit he promptly flipped off his companion. "Fuck you. I'm not about to get splinters from those shitty crates. You're the one that has elephant hide on your hands." Suddenly a wicked grin formed on his face and he leaned in a bit. "Tell me, was it your katana that earned you those callouses, or did you work them up handling your fourth sword a bit too vigorously?"

The blatant dirty question nearly made Zoro trip over his own feet. "Dammit! Don't do that or I'll drop this shit and kick your ass!" he hissed, now glad the wooden crates hid his slightly heated cheeks.

A bright laugh bubbled from Sanji's chest as he lightly pinched the blushing cheeks. "Who knew you could be so adorable?"

"You're pushing it, bastard!" Zoro barked, trying to bite at the hands messing with him.

Quickly pulling away from the snapping teeth, Sanji snickered while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Tsk tsk. You're not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you."

Zoro was about to just fling back another insult, but his eyes caught a glimpse of the mark he made on the blonde's neck peeking out from the collar of the green shirt. The sight made the insult die on his tongue as his lips curled into a smirk. "Alright. That mean I can bite other parts instead?"

Sanji hadn't expected the light innuendo from the moss head, but it encouraged him greatly. "Heh. If you're a good pack mule, I may be willing to negotiate." He placed his hands on the broad shoulders and turned Zoro's entire body slightly to the left. "Merry's straight ahead. Keep walking and you'll go right up the gangplank."

It bothered the swordsman that he was having to rely only on the curly cook's word that he was going the right direction, but he knew that the spastic blonde wouldn't ruin his precious kitchen inventory for the sake of a prank. It was one of the few perks of being the cook's pack mule. _'As long as I'm carrying his shit he won't try anything.'_ It was valuable information that he would have to put to use in the future. _'If I hold his stuff hostage he might back off.. As long as I have a way to keep him from getting it back.' _He knew the moment Sanji retrieved anything that was taken from him, the culprit would have a foot shaped hole in their gut soon after.

One thing was for certain. This strange new relationship was definitely going to keep Zoro on his toes. The thought actually made a tiny smirk creep onto his lips. The way it seemed so far, he hadn't lost anything from their previous nakama relationship. They still fought. They still argued. They still hurled one insult after another. When Sanji had made his farewell breakfast for Ojiisan, he still bitched and kicked Zoro for being an uncultured slob at the table.

At one point they almost squared off right in the kitchen before Ojiisan promptly whacked the back of the blonde head with a plate. The old man firmly stated that he wasn't going to have his last masterpiece punched right after he made it. It was almost comical how the cook had to back down and grumbled an apology. Zoro mercifully decided not to provoke the cook too much to avoid causing any damage to the healing tattoo.

The moment Sanji said farewell to Ojiisan and his grandson with a low bow of thanks, the blonde curtain of hair fell back into place over the left eye. It was surprising how well the pale strands hid the tattoo, but it also made Zoro feel a faint pang of loss. He liked simply looking into that swirling mass of blue. But it also made him feel a bit proud. To watch Sanji gush over the various vendors and flirt with anything wearing a skirt knowing that he was the only one that knew what was really behind that gooey facade. He knew the depths of Sanji's dream. He knew what Sanji hid from the rest of the world. _'He trusted all of that to me..'_

That thought made that fuzzy feeling linger. He was starting to like that feeling. He would die before he would admit that, but the feeling was steadily growing stronger with every tease and every intimate gesture tossed his way.

He came very close to simply caving in when Sanji forcefully tugged him behind a building as they were walking through town. Zoro never had a chance to protest when that damn pervy cook kissed him. It was a kiss that made Zoro's heart pound and his toes curl. A kiss that left him breathless and blinking in a hapless state of shock as the bastard stood there with that infuriating smug look. That look that told him exactly what was in store for him very soon. The look that made him want to roll over and surrender to whatever deviant sex driven thoughts that were swirling in Sanji's filthy mind.

That look the fucker was giving him right now. He couldn't look back, but he knew Sanji was staring at him. Conniving. Plotting. Thinking dirty and obscene thoughts about what to do to him. About how to make him writhe and beg.

Zoro's eye twitched hard. "Fuck..."

"Maybe later." was Sanji's quick answer.

'_I knew it!' _Zoro tried to scare the heated blushed away from his face with a harsh growl. "Fuckin bastard.. Quit messing with me out in the open!" _'When I can't easily deck you for it..'_ he added silently.

Sanji chuckled as he lightly poked between the broad shoulders. "Easy. The others can probably hear you. We're supposed to keep this to ourselves for now. Remember?"

The coy question made Zoro grind his teeth slightly. "I never thought it was possible, but you're even more of an asshole than you were before."

"Ha, you should be glad I don't hate you. Your head would implode from my true capacity of assholeness." Sanji countered. His hand settled on Zoro's shoulder and pulled him to a stop. "Hold it. There are a few broken bottles in front of you."

Zoro didn't resist as the blonde guided him around the scattered broken glass. From how thick that glass was as he caught a glimpse of it, it very well could trip him up or slice into the soles of his boots. When he was nudged to continue walking forward, Zoro chewed at inside of his lip.

He could honestly say that he was put at ease knowing that Sanji was watching his back. Differences between them would never change, and that also comforted him. Just having the cook there made him feel that everything was okay. As long as that shitty smug bastard was there, everything would be fine. _'Means I have to make sure he sticks around.'_

At that moment his boots made contact with the gangplank. He easily climbed the plank, and he soon heard the voices of his crew.

"Sanji! Where have you been_?_! I'm hungry!" Luffy immediately stated as he nearly tackled the cook.

"Oi! Luffy, quit wrapping around me like a fuckin python!" Sanji yelped as he tried to keep from falling face first onto the deck.

The rubbery limbs didn't retract, but Luffy gave his best pouty face as he squeezed tighter. "But I missed you! I had to eat shitty Usopp food yesterday 'cause Robin and Chopper wouldn't let me near the storage room. And Nami wouldn't let me buy anything in town because I'm already a... Um.." The captain glanced back at the redhead approaching them on deck. "What was it again, Nami?"

Nami rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "A bottomless pit of financial ruin. Until we haul in another big score, we're going to have to watch what we spend. For now it's supplies only." She glanced towards the blonde cook and frowned slightly. "Have you gotten everything you need yet, Sanji?"

Still trying to pry his captain off of him, Sanji met her gaze. "Nearly. I'm about to go out and hit the produce vendors. I need Chopper to help me cart everything back... Dammit, Luffy! I'll make you something, just let go!" he growled when he was still struggling to stay upright.

"No! As my cook, I have decided that I will be near you at all times no matter what!" Luffy declared with a wide grin. However his grin was short lived when a hand grabbed hold of his ear.

"Let him go, Luffy! Sanji's got work to do!" Nami said sharply as she forcefully pulled the captain off the cook. As she promptly drug Luffy away, Nami looked back at the blonde watching her curiously. "Let me know if you need anything, Sanji."

It was as close to an actual apology as Sanji would get, so he slapped on his wide grin. "Of course, Nami-swan~!"

The moment she saw the first pink heart float in over a week, Nami smiled brightly before happily dragging the whining Luffy away.

"But Naaamiii! I'm so hungry..."

"No food for you until you finish cleaning that mess you made of the foresail! I can't believe Usopp let you have paint.." she grumbled loudly as she headed for the foremast.

"But I just wanted to add Chibi Captain Usopp to our flag!" Luffy protested loudly.

When they heard that, both Sanji and Zoro shot their attention to the foresail. There in bright orange paint was a horribly disfigured scribble that looked like a strange combination of a bird and a manatee. On seeing it, they both felt their eyes twitching hard.

"I'm gonna kill that fuckin bird.." Zoro growled and he sat the crates down on deck.

Sanji was quick to lightly kick at the swordsman's boot to get his attention. "Oi, I told you to leave that shitty chicken to me. I'll have it dealt with before the end of the day."

"End of the day?" Zoro repeated on a snort. "I've been trying to get that stupid bird for a week. How the hell are you going to get rid of it by the end of the day?"

"Easy." Sanji blew a ring of smoke that encircled Zoro's face while flicking his spent cigarette overboard. "By being my usual fuckin awesome self. Now you stay here like a good little guard dog. After I get Chopper, I'll be back in a couple of hours. At that time you can consider your bird problem officially over." he stated like it was an undisputed fact.

Zoro's eyes narrowed, but he was soon glaring at the cook hard. "You don't have anything planned. You got no clue what you're going to do about that damn bird."

Sanji quirked up his visible brow at the accusation, but after one quick look to see that no one was paying attention to them, he leaned in to whisper into Zoro's ear. "You'll just have to wait and see, Marimo... But when I do, I expect your first assignment as my permanent footstool to be kissing my feet. Slowly." he added while letting his own tongue trace along the three piercings.

The heated words made a faint shiver shoot down Zoro's spine. However instead of letting his hesitation get in the way, he decided to counter. "Fine. If you don't get rid of that bird by sunset, I expect you to lick my swords clean." A wicked smirk tugged onto his face as he leaned in a bit closer. "All four of them."

The visible blue eye widened slightly before a purring chuckle left Sanji's lips. "My my.. You're a quick study." He smoothly slipped his hand to the hilt of Wadou and let his fingers curl around it. "You've got a deal. You better be ready when I win." With a soft swipe of his tongue across the three earrings just to hear them chime, Sanji pulled away and turned to head below deck.

Zoro stood still and watched him leave. His eyes lingered on the slight sway of his slim hips and the way the sunlight caught his hair. He could easily remember how soft that pale hair felt against his face that morning. The way his leg was hooked over that slender hip. The feel of that warm body nestled against his own.

He was definitely falling for the bastard. "Eh... At least it'll make things a bit more interesting." Zoro finally conceded.

A shout from the foresail had Zoro looking in time to see Nami pelting Luffy with one of her shoes. The reason being that Luffy apparently had a sudden urge to paint a mustache on the bird manatee. When Luffy only started cackling with laughter at the navigator's rants, Zoro rolled his eyes and looked up to the cloudless sky. "Nut jobs. Fucking nut jobs. The lot of them." But even so, he couldn't think of one place he'd rather be.

As he was looking up, he noticed that someone was perched in the crowsnest. Focusing on it, he saw Robin looking straight at him with a strange little smile on her face. Soon realizing that the woman must have witnessed the exchange he had with the cook, he glanced away as his embarrassment returned for a brief moment. "So much for keeping this private..." he muttered before moving quickly for the galley.

He still had guard dog duty to focus his mind on.

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Placing his hand on the fogged glass, Zoro wiped away the condensation in order to see his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He ran a small towel over his short hair for a moment as he regarded himself carefully. The past hour was spent doing situps on the galley floor as he usually did whenever Sanji wasn't around, but around rep 274 he didn't really have the drive for more. His mind kept wondering how the hell the idiot cook was going to get rid of that rooster.

So far he hadn't seen it since he returned, but he knew the little fucker was out there. Waiting.

So instead he decided to take up some time with a bath. A long bath. The entire time he could only think of that morning spent with the blonde in his arms. Almost to the point of getting a little too excited, but he held off from having the obligatory erotic interlude of a little self gratification. That always seemed a bit cheap to him. If he wanted someone, he would rather have them there. Plus he seriously doubted he could imagine anything that would do the cook any justice. No, he wanted Sanji very present.

Now as he was drying himself off, he wondered how much longer the cook would be. And when the mouthy fucker would implement his so called brilliant plan.

"He doesn't have a plan... He never had a plan. He's just blowing smoke like he always does." he said to his reflection, even though the expression on his face didn't seem as convinced.

Deciding to return to the galley, Zoro dried off and tugged on another pair of his black pants. He slung the towel he was using around his shoulders and headed out of the bathroom. He made his way quietly topside, slowly moving around every turn. He knew that bird was biding its time, as paranoid as that sounded. For it to go this long without making its presence known had Zoro on edge. It felt like the little shit was planning something.

'_Dammit.. I'm going nuts... That stupid bird can't plan anything... It's just an annoying pile of feathers.' _However his attempts at reassuring himself weren't very convincing. Something just wasn't right.

On reaching the galley door, Zoro was a bit startled to find Robin blocking it. She was leaning against it in a casual pose with her arms folded over her ample chest. Her eyes were closed, but there was a small knowing smile curling her pale lips.

The sight told him immediately that she had seen Sanji and himself speaking closely on deck. _'Hell, probably heard everything too..'_ He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that. It wasn't the cook's fault, but it made Zoro uneasy. Especially when he still recalled the brief conversation they had about the archaeologist. _'Sanji found a bad omen that hints towards her...'_ He was never all that superstitious, but he did take heed to anything that wasn't adding up correctly.

"Need something?" he asked calmly as he stopped in front of her.

Robin's eyes slowly opened and focused on the swordsman. She seemed to examine him a bit before her smile twitched wider. "Just curious. You know how I like a good puzzle. The one I've been watching for the past week has been most entertaining."

The not so cryptic words had Zoro's eyes narrowing slightly. "I never took you for the nosey type. Is there some reason why you're watching so closely?" he asked bluntly. Subtle was never a strength for him. Took too damn long.

Robin hummed in amusement as she pointed to the door behind her. "Let's talk a bit more privately."

"Fine." When she stepped aside, Zoro opened the galley door and stepped in. He didn't bother to look back as he moved straight for the table where a few pieces were left of a tray of cheeses Sanji had prepared before he left. He popped a cube of pepperjack into his mouth as the door quietly closed behind him. "So what is it that's got you so curious?" he started out to get it over with.

Not surprised by the bum rush she was receiving, Robin simply leaned against the inside of the door. "I find it interesting how the two of you interact. I have since I met you. I had a feeling that there was something else behind all the bravado, but I never expected this."

Zoro glanced back over his shoulder and frowned. "You got a problem with it?"

"Hm, hardly. It makes observing the two of you all the more fascinating." Robin nearly purred out.

There was a strange smirk on her face that Zoro wasn't sure if he liked. "Observing, huh? So you're not going to tell the others?"

The raven head shook. "That is not my place. I'm perfectly capable of keeping secrets."

Somehow Zoro still wasn't satisfied. "Hn.. That mean I'll have to wonder if you've got an eyeball peeking in here when that blonde idiot is with me?" he asked with a sarcastic glare.

A wicked expression fell over her face as she gave a careless shrug. "I did say I like to observe." Robin replied smoothly.

Zoro felt his eye twitch at the thought. "And if I said I don't like being watched?"

"Well, you won't know one way or the other, now will you, Swordsman-san?" was the woman's coy reply.

He wanted to be pissed. He wanted to, but the more he thought about it, the more he remembered touching Sanji in front of that mirror at Ojiisan's. _'Knowing that someone else is watching...'_ That thought intrigued him a bit.

Which irritated him even more. "Dammit.. That bastard is a bad influence on me." he grumbled before plopping down on a bench.

Able to guess what was provoking the reaction, Robin gave a humming laugh while approaching the table. "I wouldn't say that. From what I've seen, he's been taking very good care of you..." She trailed off when she noticed something sparkle on the floor next to a few lingering sacks of potatoes. "What's this..." She moved around the table and knelt down at the sacks. There her long fingers picked up a gold ring.

Seeing the ring, Zoro quickly remembered he had stashed it under the potato sack he had been using as a pillow. "Ah.. That..." he muttered while looking away.

His strange behavior had Robin quirking up a brow. "So it's yours?"

"Yeah."

She stood up with the ring and took it back to the swordsman. "I don't recall you ever wearing it."

Taking it when it was held out to him, Zoro looked at it for a moment in the palm of his hand. "I haven't. I got it a few days ago." He knew that she was bound to ask where since they've been at sea for the past three weeks, so decided to just get on with it. "He found it in that fish I caught a few days ago. Said it was mine since I caught the fish."

"Ah. That makes sense. It's very nice. That stone matches the color of his eyes. And the gold is close to his hair color." Robin commented, perching herself on the end of the table.

When it was brought to his attention, Zoro frowned slightly. _'Gold and blue... A circle means eternity. Something valuable... That I'll have for eternity...'_ "Sanji said that there's a legend that anything found in a fish's stomach was a fortune for the person that caught it."

"That's interesting..." Robin took note of the way Zoro was seriously pondering something as he looked at the ring. The faint tension she saw made her smile. "Do you like the fortune that ring tells for you?"

Zoro picked up the ring from his palm and turned it over a few times. The blue stone sparkled, which only reminded him of the eyes that were haunting him since the night before. The way they sparkled when the cook was being particularly evil towards him. The way they locked with his own when they were alone. The way they dilated when he would trail his fingers down his spine.

"Yeah." Zoro placed the ring on the middle finger of his right hand again. "I do."

Robin's smile grew when it was clear that Zoro had made a decision. She was about to speak when a shout was heard from the deck.

"YAY! Sanji's back! When do we eat?" Luffy's voice cackled excitedly.

On hearing that Robin slid off the table and moved for the door. "Shall we go welcome him back?"

Zoro snorted and folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not going to welcome him home like a puppy." he muttered loudly.

"It's another three hours before sunset. I would think that you would want to watch him like a hawk for when he acts on his plan."

Baited so skillfully, Zoro stiffened for a moment before he stood up rigidly. "Damn nosey bitch." he growled while stomping towards the door.

Robin smiled cheerfully and opened the door for him. She held back a giggle when she was glared at, but was quick to follow him.

On deck Luffy was bouncing around covered in paint from where he had to fix the foresail. Twice. "Saaanjiii! Gimme meeaat!" he commanded at the top of his lungs.

However Zoro glanced around the dock without spotting the blonde anywhere. "I don't see him..."

"That's because Luffy's looking through my telescope." Usopp said while scratching the back of his head. He pointed towards the main street that went into town. "Sanji's still in town. He's heading this way, but it'll be a few minutes before he's actually here."

Zoro stared at the sniper for a moment before slapping his palm to his forehead. "This is ridiculous..."

"SANJI! As your captain, I order you to feed me now!" Luffy shouted while still looking through the telescope.

"Sanji can't hear you, idiot!" Nami hissed when she noticed a few dock workers stopping and staring at the spastic captain.

Luffy didn't pay any heed to the others present. "SANJI! FEEEED MEEE!"

Before anyone could reprimand him further, a shout echoed in the distance. "SHUT THE HELL UP! I'LL FEED YOU WHEN I'M FUCKING READY TO!"

"Wahh! Long distance scary Sanji!" Luffy yelped as he ran to hide behind Zoro.

Zoro was able to catch the telescope that had fallen from his captain's grasp before it hit the ground. He then held it up to his eye and looked for the pissed chef. It didn't take him long to see the puffing smoke stack that was Sanji as he stormed his way towards dock with Chopper towing the loaded cart hesitantly following him. The sight made a wide smirk pull over her lips. "Looks like ya pissed him off, Luffy. Might want to think of a way to get back on his good side. Especially if you want to be fed."

"Waah! I need to be fed! What should I do?" Luffy asked desperately, clinging to his first mate tight.

"Perhaps helping him load everything onboard without breaking, or opening, or swallowing a single thing?" Robin offered while patting the top of Luffy's head.

Luffy's jaw immediately dropped. "No way! That's impossible!"

"You wanna eat, don't you?" Zoro asked lightly. It was amusing how much fear a pissed cook could stir within people.

The captain's lower lip quivered faintly for a moment in a pout. When his stomach suddenly let out a gurgling growl, Luffy's jaw set and he took a deep breath to center himself. "Right..." He released Zoro and got into a firm stance on the deck. "Those supplies are gonna be put away perfectly! Sanji will be happy and then feed me until I explode! Yosh!"

When they saw that Luffy was about to charge off the deck and actually run to Sanji to gather the supplies that were still a good half mile away, they were all quick to grab hold of him. "Captain, why don't you just wait here until Chef-san gets here?" Robin suggested, keeping four of her arms locking up Luffy's rubbery legs.

"I hate waiting!" Luffy grumbled as another pout formed.

Nami rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It won't kill you. Go play with Chibi Captain Usopp until he gets here."

On hearing the blasted name, Zoro growled loudly. "Keep that fuckin bird away from me!"

The fact that was Zoro's automatic response to the rooster puzzled everyone. "Why don't you like Chibi Captain Usopp?" Luffy asked with wide curious eyes.

"Because it's fuckin evil! If I see one more person get all bubbly over that damn bird I am going to crack." Zoro threatened, his teeth bared and fists clenched.

A bit startled at how much anger was on the swordsman's face, everyone took a little step back. "Damn, Zoro.. It's just a little rooster. You're starting to get a little carried away with the paranoia." Usopp muttered, only to shrink back when a heated glare was fixed on him.

Somewhat satisfied that the sniper was quaking in fear, Zoro snorted and took a long look at everyone. "I'm letting you know now. If I catch that bird, it's dead. Keep it away from me if you're gonna treat it like a pet."

The grim words hung in the air for a moment as a tension formed, but it was immediately cut apart by the sound of feet hitting the gangplank. "Goddammit, Luffy! I was close to talking a cute vendor into cutting me a deal when you started shouting!" Sanji soon appeared on deck with large bag filled with fresh baguettes held in his left arm.

The way everyone was standing in such a tense posture was confusing, but the moment they looked towards him they all seemed to hold their breath in apprehension. Their eyes all grew wide and were locked down at Sanji's feet.

"What are you staring at? Did I step in something?" Sanji looked down and was instantly caught in a wide eyed blank stare. "What the..?" There standing barely a foot away was the black and tan rooster. "This... Is it? This is the bird that you guys have been gushing over?" he asked slowly while crouching down to get a closer look at it.

"Um.. Yeah.. Sanji, this is Chibi Captain Usopp..." Usopp introduced hesitantly.

Sanji frowned slightly as he examined the tiny bird. The bird was simply staring quietly at him with its head tilted slightly in confusion. "Well... It certainly looks like Usopp... I was expecting something a bit bigger... Thing looks underfed..." he muttered, his hand already reaching for the bread he had in the bag. He tore off a tip of one of the loaves and crumbled it up in front of the rooster. As the rooster began pecking at the breadcrumbs, Sanji hummed thoughtfully and stood up. "I guess he's not that bad... Kinda cute in a weird scrawny sort of way."

Startled that Sanji seemed to like the bird, the rest of the crew uneasily looked towards the swordsman. Zoro was staring wide eyed at the scene playing out in front of him. _'There's no way.. There's no fuckin way he actually likes that little shit!'_ But the words being growled inside of his mind couldn't reach his lips. He felt frozen to the spot. Like he was under some wicked spell that was preventing him from stopping this.

His eyes were locked on the bird happily pecking away at the breadcrumbs, but for a brief moment the bird glanced back at Zoro. In that split instant Zoro saw those evil eyes narrow as they glowed red again. _'That bird! It's doing this! Of all the shitty stunts! It's trying to take Sanji from me!'_ He tried everything to say something. Growl, move his fingers, anything to stop this. All he could do was watch helplessly as the fuckin bird moved closer to nuzzle Sanji's leg.

The act had Sanji chuckling softly as he reached for a little more bread. "You're pretty friendly. Guess you're still hungry too. Here ya go." He crumbled up the bread and tossed it down to the bird. As the rooster hopped around to peck at the crumbs, Sanji smiled and took a step back. "Lively little guy... Yeah.. I suppose Chibi Captain Usopp is okay by me."

The moment the blonde actually said the evil bird's name, Zoro felt crushed. It was over. The last person in his corner was stolen away. The one person he wanted at his side more than anyone had slipped away. _'Sanji...'_

Unaware of his comrade's breaking heart, Sanji tossed down another handful of crumbs a little bit behind the bird. The rooster turned to get at the pile of bread, showing its long tail feathered rear to the chef. The moment the bird had his back turned to him, a wide sadistic grin formed over Sanji's face. "Cock a doodle fuckin doo, ya shitty bird." In the blink of an eye, Sanji reared back his right foot and plowed it forward right into the rooster's ass.

The already wide eyes seemed to almost pop out of the bird's head as it gave a squawk that made everyone cringe and clutch at their ears. It was cut short when it was launched high into the air and sailed out over into the open ocean.

Sanji was still grinning as he held his hand over his eye to block the sun while trying to trace the flapping speck heading towards the horizon. "Fuck yeah, that got some distance. Hope Chicken little can swim. Ha!" he cackled before turning for the galley.

Shock and alarm was the only way to describe the slack jawed expression that the others were sporting. After a few seconds, Usopp shook out of his daze and glared teary eyed at the cook. "Why did you do that to poor Chibi Captain Usopp_?_!"

Sanji didn't bother to look back as he opened the door to his kitchen. "I told you that I was gonna get rid of that bird if you let it near me." As he stepped inside, he glanced back at his crew watching him. "What? At least I fed the little fucker first. Dinner will be ready in an hour. Load up everything for me, please and thank you."

With that the galley door was shut.

Then there was silence.

"Heh... Heheh... HAHAHAHA!" Free from whatever spell was placed on him, Zoro threw back his head in a cackling laughter. "I take back all the mean shit I've ever said about curly brow! That was great!"

"But what about Chibi Captain Usopp_?_!" Usopp cried out as he rushed to the port side railing. When he couldn't see beak nor feather, the sniper looked towards the captain. "Luffy! What are we gonna do_?_!"

Placing his hand to his chin in thought, Luffy closed his eyes and hummed. "Hmm.. Alright, I've got it."

"What_?_!"

Luffy lifted his head and clapped his hands together eagerly. "If I can load up all the supplies quick enough, Sanji might cook me extra meat for dinner! Chopper! Get into your big burly lifty form! We need to work double time!" he called out to the traumatized deer still attached to the supply cart.

"Wah! Yes! Double time!" Chopper repeated as he tried to free himself from the cart.

Devastated that his captain's stomach so readily took the place of the rooster's memory, Usopp fell to his knees on deck and slung an arm over his face. "I see how it is! So easily you forsake a comrade! Poor Chibi Capain Usopp has been left to die by such uncaring souls!" he wailed dramatically.

"Usopp, what's done is done. It would have been too much hassle to keep that rooster anyway." Nami stated while nudging the overreacting man with her knee. "It's probably better this way."

Robin leaned in closer to the still sniffling sniper and poked at the long nose. "Chef-san bought a case of a new kind of pepper. It's supposed to be the hottest pepper known in the grand line. Maybe if you help out he'll let you try some for your pepper stars." she said just to entice him.

The thought of improving one of his inventions had Usopp raising his head curiously. "A new kind of pepper?"

The raven haired woman nodded with a smile. "That's right. The vendor said that just the smell of it will bring tears to anyone close enough. Chef-san got it to experiment with." She leaned in closer to whisper into his ear. "Just imagine wielding Ultimate Super Pepper Stars in the next battle. The marines will quake in fear of the sound of your name. Captain Usopp." she purred just to entice him.

Those already wide eyes grew even wider as the thought occurred to him. Shooting to his feet in an instant, Usopp clenched his fists and raised them in the air. "Yosh! I, Captain Usopp, will be invincible! Make way, Luffy!" Usopp cackled as he charged forward to help with the supplies.

While the three more excitable men of their crew were busy with that, Nami looked over at Robin with a wide smirk. "That was evil. I had no idea you were so manipulative."

Robin gave a slight shrug as she placed her hands on her hips. "I do what I can." Her dark eyes glanced over to the swordsman as that knowing smile curled her lips. "I believe you have a bet to settle, Swordsman-san." she reminded with a coy wink.

Instead of annoyed like he thought he'd be, Zoro gave a soft snort of amusement. "Yeah.. Dammit, he'll never let me forget this." he groaned before forcing himself to head towards the galley.

"Bet? What bet?" Nami asked with a tilt of her head.

"They bet on who would be able to get rid of the rooster first." Robin explained at least half way honestly. She wasn't about to ruin her favorite pastime by being a gossip.

At the galley door, Zoro gave a firm knock. "Oi! Lemme in."

"It's not locked." was the reply he heard from the other side.

Quickly letting himself in, Zoro found Sanji setting out roasting pans and pots for easy reach as he started dinner. Surprised that he wasn't immediately attacked by that smug grin, Zoro closed the door and locked it behind him. He leaned back against it and quietly watched the chef work. The tension that had been locked within the thin frame seemed close to gone. His hands were moving more fluidly, and his shoulders were more relaxed.

Things were back to normal.

Except for one last bit of business. "Well?" Zoro prompted when the blonde had yet to speak.

"Well what?" Sanji asked without turning away from the pan he was wiping out.

Frowning slightly, Zoro pushed away from the door and approached the table. "Aren't you going to brag? Flaunt your victory in my face?"

Sanji traded the pan for an onion that was waiting for him on the chopping board. "Should I?"

The flippant way the cook was behaving was quickly confusing and frustrating the swordsman. "Normally you would have driven me insane by now with it." When all he received in reply was a faint 'hm' Zoro gave a slight growl and moved closer to the blonde. "What's your problem? You won. You won the bet. You knocked that damn bird to the next island. Why are you acting like you've lost?"

"I'm waiting to see if I did." Sanji answered calmly as he diced the onion with a practiced ease.

"What the hell are you talking about? You won the bet. What do you think you've lost?" Zoro asked, taking hold of the slim shoulders firmly.

Sanji paused in his motions and glanced back. His visible eye was darker than usual. Apprehensive. "You." he replied without hesitation.

"Me?" Zoro blinked for a moment at a total lost. Concern suddenly mixed with his confusion as he forced the blonde to face him. He placed his hands on the thin arms and looked seriously into the visible eye. "What do you mean?"

"It's over." Sanji answered, posture deceptively calm. "Everyone will probably be totally over that bird by morning. You don't have to stay around me anymore. Things can go back to normal."

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Zoro felt his jaw drop slightly as he attempted to make sense of this. "I.. I don't understand.. I thought you wanted this..." he whispered, hands gripping a bit tighter to the cook's shoulders.

The grip was almost painful, but Sanji made no move to pull away. "I do. However you haven't given me an answer. This is your chance to just let all of this drop. To back away before things go too far."

A clean break. That's what was being offered. Zoro could walk out now and everything would be over. Things would return to how they were before any of this started. They would go back to barely tolerating one another. Burying the fleeting memories of the past week under mountains of denial and bravado.

"My answer.." Zoro's right hand lifted and tenderly brushed the blonde hair away from the vibrant ink that surrounded the perpetually hidden eye. He looked at the visual embodiment of Sanji's dream for a moment as a smile curled his lips. "My answer is this..." Taking hold of the pale chin, Zoro closed the spaced between them in a soft kiss. The lean body against him grew rigid for a brief moment, but barely a second passed before those long arms locked tight around him.

Lips nipped and parted in order to taste one another for a long moment before Sanji finally pulled away. He gasped softly for breath, but his hands were still gripping to the sun kissed skin of Zoro's back. His eyes focused hard on the dark ones watching him. Trying to find any hint that this was some sort of joke.

When Zoro's gaze never broke from his own, a smirk curled Sanji's lips as he leaned against the strong wall of muscle that made up the green haired fighter. "This mean you've accepted your new position as my footstool?"

Zoro snorted softly and tucked the blonde hair behind the left ear. "Well, I did lose the bet. It wouldn't really be honorable if I backed out of it. As long as you only make use of that position in a private setting."

"Pfft, my footstool. I'm not gonna share." The smirk grew as that evil glimmer returned to his eyes. "So how'd you like my brilliant plan? I could almost hear your jaw hit the floor." Sanji teased playfully.

"What the hell ever. That wasn't a plan. There's no way you could have planned that. You were just lucky." Zoro scoffed as he looked away with a stubborn frown on his face.

Sanji grinned and poked at the faintly pink cheeks. "Jealous. I told you I would get rid of that shitty bird. All I had to do was wait until it tried to make a move on me. Distract it with some bread, then bam! Bye bye birdie. The brilliance is in simplicity, my dear Marimo." he cooed while leaning in to tug at a gold earring with his teeth.

Trying to ignore the strange tingling feeling that action provoked, Zoro gave a slight growl as his hands took hold of the narrow waist. "I knew you'd flaunt it."

"Mm.. I've got even more to flaunt now.." Sanji purred as he dove in for another kiss. It ended just as quickly as the chef pulled away and pushed the swordsman back. "Alright, get out of here. I've got a dinner to prepare, and you'll only distract me."

"That's always useful to know." Zoro mused, but didn't resist. He turned towards the kitchen door and could already hear the sound of chopping resume. "So when are you.."

"Tonight. After everyone's asleep."

With the promise of another encounter humming through his mind, Zoro smirked as he quietly left the kitchen. Suddenly everything seemed so much brighter. The crew was back to its normal dysfunctional self. That fuckin bird was finally gone for good. And he now had something new to fight for. Someone that would fight for him.

Things may have been done a bit hastily, but he was fine with that. He preferred the direct approach anyway. Sanji was about as direct as it got. He knew that he was in for something intense as this relationship continued. It made him excited. Eager to see what would develop.

His gaze turned towards the horizon as a content expression formed over his face. The sun shone a brilliant gold in the sky over the endless blue waters. The sight made him look down to the ring on his finger. "Gold and blue... I think I can live with that."

Eternity was looking a lot more appealing.

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfjfThe End_ _fjfjfjfjfjfjfjf_

.

I can hear half of you saying "Oi! Where the smexy smex part?" No smexy for you! Haha!

Anywho, I've written a oneshot sequel for this. No, it's not the smexy smex part.

It takes place later on the series right after the Thriller Bark dealie.

The title is **Hold Me Together**

I was tempted to make it an epilogue for this, but I preferred to end this on a high note.

Until next time

Later~


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